{{Short description|Ethiopian-born Bahraini runner (born 1988)}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Mimi Belete | image = Irene Cheptai, Mimi Belete 2015.jpg | image_size = 140px | caption = Mimi Belete (right) in 2015 | birth_date = {{birth-date and age|9 June 1988}} | birth_place = Ethiopia | headercolor = lightsteelblue | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport | Women's athletics}} {{Medal|Country| {{BHR}} }} {{Medal|Competition|Asian Games}} {{Medal|Gold |2010 Guangzhou|5000 m}} {{Medal|Bronze |2010 Guangzhou|1500 m}} }}
'''Mimi Belete Gebregeiorges''' (born 9 June 1988) is an Ethiopian-born middle and long-distance runner who competes internationally for Bahrain. She won the 5000 metres title at the 2010 Asian Games.
She moved to Belgium as a political refugee along with her younger sister, Almensh Belete, who is also a runner. It was in Belgium that she began competing: she ran at the 2007 Memorial van Damme in Brussels and was the 2009 winner of the Eurocross competition.<ref>Hendrix, Ivo (2009-02-16). [https://www.iaaf.org/CROS09/news/newsid=49343.html Kiprop and Belete are the Eurocross winners in Diekirch]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-11-28.</ref> She chose to transfer allegiance to Bahrain in early 2009 and her first outing for her newly adopted country was at the Asian Cross Country Championships, where she took the silver medal behind fellow convert Maryam Yusuf Jamal.<ref>Negash, Elshadai (2009-03-02). [https://www.iaaf.org/WXC09/news/newsid=49545.html Jamal and Abdullah cruise to title defence - Asian Cross Country Championships]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-11-28.</ref> She ran at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in March and finished in 28th place. She also qualified for the 1500 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics and reached the semi-finals of the event.<ref>Hendrix, Ivo (2010-02-26). [https://www.iaaf.org/CROS10/news/newsid=55663.html Matebo, Belete sisters the favourites in Diekirch Eurocross]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-11-28.</ref><ref name=IAAFBio>[http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/country=0/athcode=237217/index.html Belete Mimi]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-11-28.</ref> At the end of the year she set indoor bests at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games, taking fourth place in the 800 metres and taking the runner-up spot in the 1500 metres behind Liu Qing.<ref>Murali, Ram. Krishnan (2009-10-31). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=54800.html Li Ling's vault victory and Huong's 60m triumph highlight opening day of Asian Indoor Games in Hanoi]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-11-28.</ref>
She started her 2010 with a defence of her title at the Eurocross before going on to take 16th place at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz.<ref name=IAAFBio/> She improved her 3000 metres best with a fourth-place finish in 8:32.18 at the Herculis IAAF Diamond League meeting in July,<ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/dlm/eventcode=4454/sex=W/discCode=3000/result.html#W3000 Herculis 2010 - Women's 3000 m]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-11-28.</ref> and a month later she ran a personal best of 4:00.25 for the 1500 m, taking second place behind Jamal at the Rieti Meeting.<ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/iwc10/results/eventcode=4436/sex=W/discCode=1500/result.html#W1500 Rieti 2010 - Women's 1500 m]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-11-28.</ref> She was selected to represent the Asia-Pacific team at the 2010 IAAF Continental Cup and came in fourth place in the 1500 m.<ref>Mulkeen, Jon (2010-09-05). [https://www.iaaf.org/WCP10/news/newsid=58242.html EVENT Report - Women's 1500 Metres]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-11-28.</ref> Belete won two medals at the 2010 Asian Games in November. She made a team effort with Jamal in the 1500 m and ended up with the bronze medal as Truong Thanh Hang edged her near the finish.<ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=58799.html Jamal captures 1500m title in Guangzhou - Asian Games, Day 3]. IAAF (2010-11-24). Retrieved on 2010-11-28.</ref> Running in the 5000 m, she managed to fend off an Indian challenge in the form of Preeja Sreedharan and Kavita Raut to secure the gold medal in a personal best of 15:15.59 minutes, completing her first major title win.<ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=58829.html Bahrain takes two distance running golds - Asian Games, Day 6]. IAAF (2010-11-27). Retrieved on 2010-11-28.</ref>
On October 12, 2018, she won the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, with a course record time and personal best of 2:22:28.<ref name=canada>{{cite web|url=https://canadarunningseries.com/2018/10/mimi-belete-breaks-scotiabank-toronto-waterfront-marathon-record/ |title=Mimi Belete breaks Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon record |website=canadarunningseries.com|date=2018-10-21 |accessdate=2018-12-04}}</ref>
==Competition record== {| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}} |- |rowspan=6|2009 |Asian Cross Country Championships |Manama, Bahrain |bgcolor=silver|2nd |Women's race | |- |World Cross Country Championships |Amman, Jordan |28th |Women's race | |- |World Championships |Berlin, Germany |24th (sf) |1500 m |4:13.30 |- |Asian Championships |Guangzhou, China |6th |1500 m |4:35.30 |- |rowspan=2|Asian Indoor Games |rowspan=2|Hanoi, Vietnam |4th |800 m |2:06.67 |- |bgcolor=silver|2nd |1500 m |4:19.79 |- |rowspan=5|2010 |Continental Cup |Split, Croatia |4th |1500 m |4:22.27 |- |rowspan=2|West Asian Championships |rowspan=2|Aleppo, Syria |bgcolor=cc9966|3rd |800 m |2:09.00 |- |bgcolor=gold|1st |1500 m |4:21.67 |- |rowspan=2|Asian Games |rowspan=2|Guangzhou, China |bgcolor=cc9966|3rd |1500 m |4:10.42 |- |bgcolor=gold|1st |5000 m |15:15.59 |- |2011 |World Championships |Daegu, South Korea |7th |1500 m |4:07.60 |- |2012 |Olympic Games |London, United Kingdom |18th (sf) |1500 m |4:05.91 |- |rowspan=3|2013 |Asian Championships |Pune, India |bgcolor=silver|2nd |1500 m |4:14.04 |- |World Championships |Moscow, Russia |23rd (sf) |1500 m |4:14.22 |- |Islamic Solidarity Games |Palembang, Indonesia |4th |1500 m |4:21.10 |- |rowspan=3|2014 |World Indoor Championships |Sopot, Poland |16th (h) |1500 m |4:16.02 |- |rowspan=2|Asian Games |rowspan=2|Incheon, South Korea |bgcolor=silver|2nd |1500 m |4:11.03 |- |bgcolor=silver|2nd |5000 m |15:00.87 |- |2015 |World Championships |Beijing, China |11th |5000 m |15:17.01 |- |2016 |Olympic Games |Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |19th (h) |5000 m |15:29.72 |}
==Other notable races== '''Key:''' {{legend2|#A9F5A9|'''Course record'''|border=solid 1px #AAAAAA}} {| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}} |- |rowspan=1|2018 |Toronto Waterfront Marathon |Toronto, Ontario, Canada |1st |Women's Marathon |bgcolor=#A9F5A9|'''2:22:28'''<ref name=canada/> |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Asian Games Champions Athletics 5000 m Women}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belete, Mimi}} Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:Bahraini women middle-distance runners Category:Ethiopian women middle-distance runners Category:Bahraini women long-distance runners Category:Ethiopian women long-distance runners Category:Olympic athletes for Bahrain Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2010 Asian Games Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Asian Games Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Bahrain Category:Bahraini people of Ethiopian descent Category:Ethiopian emigrants to Bahrain Category:Naturalized citizens of Bahrain Category:Asian Games gold medalists for Bahrain Category:Asian Games athletes for Bahrain Category:Asian Games silver medalists for Bahrain Category:Asian Games bronze medalists for Bahrain Category:Medalists at the 2010 Asian Games Category:Medalists at the 2014 Asian Games Category:Islamic Solidarity Games competitors for Bahrain Category:Arab Athletics Championships winners Category:West Asian Athletics Championships winners Category:Asian Athletics Championships medalists Category:Asian Games gold medalists in athletics (track and field) Category:Asian Games silver medalists in athletics (track and field) Category:Asian Games bronze medalists in athletics (track and field)