# Tolossa Kotu

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{{short description|Ethiopian long-distance runner and coach}}
'''Tolossa Kotu Terfe''' (born 25 December 1952<ref name="sr"/>{{#tag:ref|Tilastopaja gives his birth date as 15 March 1950.<ref>{{tilastopaja|id=43995}}</ref>|group="note"}} also transliterated as '''Tolosa Kotu''') is an Ethiopian [long-distance runner](/source/long-distance_runner) and [coach](/source/Coach_(sport)). He placed fourth in men's [10,000 metres](/source/10%2C000_metres) at the [1980 Summer Olympics](/source/1980_Summer_Olympics) and has coached the national teams of both Ethiopia and Bahrain.

==Running career==

Tolossa Kotu represented Ethiopia at the [1972 Summer Olympics](/source/1972_Summer_Olympics) in [Munich](/source/Munich) in the [5000 metres](/source/Athletics_at_the_1972_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Men's_5000_metres), but failed to qualify for the final.<ref name="sr">{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ko/tolossa-kotu-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418072232/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ko/tolossa-kotu-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Tolossa Kotu Bio, Stats and Results |accessdate=14 December 2014 |publisher=Sports Reference LLC}}</ref> At the [1980 Olympics](/source/1980_Summer_Olympics) in [Moscow](/source/Moscow) Kotu ran the [10,000 metres](/source/Athletics_at_the_1972_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Men's_10%2C000_metres), winning his heat.<ref name="sr"/><ref name="Siukonen">{{cite book |title= Urheilutieto 5 |last= Siukonen |first= Markku |year= 1980 |publisher= Oy Scandia Kirjat Ab |isbn= 951-9466-20-7 |language=Finnish|display-authors=etal}}</ref> In the final he stayed with the leaders until the last lap, placing fourth behind [Miruts Yifter](/source/Miruts_Yifter), [Kaarlo Maaninka](/source/Kaarlo_Maaninka) and [Mohammed Kedir](/source/Mohammed_Kedir).<ref name="Siukonen"/> ''[Track & Field News](/source/Track_%26_Field_News)'' ranked him the seventh-best 10,000 m runner of 1980, behind the three runners he lost to at the Olympics and three whose countries [boycotted](/source/1980_Summer_Olympics_boycott) the Olympics ([Craig Virgin](/source/Craig_Virgin), [Henry Rono](/source/Henry_Rono) and [Toshihiko Seko](/source/Toshihiko_Seko)); this was the only time he was ranked in the world's top 10.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/Rankings/08-m10000rank.pdf |title=World Rankings — Men's 10,000 |magazine=[Track & Field News](/source/Track_%26_Field_News) |accessdate=14 December 2014}}</ref> In 1981 he represented Africa at 5,000 metres in the [1981 IAAF World Cup](/source/1981_IAAF_World_Cup) in [Rome](/source/Rome), placing fifth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/download/downloadresultinfo?filename=d2333268-ea20-4891-a94d-67b1f6d5bc3a.pdf&urlSlug=facts-and-figures-split-2010 |format=PDF |page=32 |title=1st IAAF/VTB Bank Continental Cup Split 2010: IAAF Statistics Handbook |editor=Butler, Mark |publisher=[International Association of Athletics Federations](/source/International_Association_of_Athletics_Federations) |accessdate=14 December 2014}}</ref>

==Coaching career==

Kotu remained active in distance running as a coach. [Kenenisa Bekele](/source/Kenenisa_Bekele) joined Kotu's Mugher Cement Factory team as a 16-year-old in 1998, and Kotu coached him to multiple Olympic and world titles.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.diamondleague.com/en/Diamond-Race/Ambassador-Overview/Kenenisa-BEKELE/ |publisher=[IAAF Diamond League](/source/IAAF_Diamond_League) |title=Our Ambassadors: Kenenisa Bekele |accessdate=14 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214192405/http://www.diamondleague.com/en/Diamond-Race/Ambassador-Overview/Kenenisa-BEKELE/ |archivedate=14 December 2014 }}</ref><ref name="apple">{{cite news |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/sports-news/athletics/bekele-the-apple-of-coach-kotu-s-eye/article1-1086725.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141214181804/http://www.hindustantimes.com/sports-news/athletics/bekele-the-apple-of-coach-kotu-s-eye/article1-1086725.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 December 2014 |title=Bekele the apple of coach Kotu's eye |accessdate=14 December 2014 |newspaper=[Hindustan Times](/source/Hindustan_Times) |date=4 July 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VIOKAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT23 |title=Top 101 Athletes |publisher=Britannica Educational Publishing |author=Nagle, Jeanne |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-6227-5135-8 |accessdate=14 December 2014}}</ref> Kotu also coached Ethiopian national teams<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/focus-on-africans-mens-10000m-final-biograp |title='Focus on Africans' - men's 10,000m Final biographies |publisher=International Association of Athletics Federations |accessdate=14 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/ethiopias-final-squad-of-27-for-athens |title=Ethiopia's final squad of 27 for Athens |publisher=International Association of Athletics Federations |date=10 August 2004 |accessdate=14 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/ethiopia-seeks-to-top-best-medal-haul-in-fuku |title=Ethiopia seeks to top best medal haul in Fukuoka |date=27 March 2006 |accessdate=14 December 2014 |publisher=International Association of Athletics Federations}}</ref> before  moving to [Bahrain](/source/Bahrain) to coach that country's team.<ref name="apple"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=244615 |title=Alemu on track for greater glory |newspaper=[Gulf Daily News](/source/Gulf_Daily_News) |date=2 March 2009 |accessdate=14 December 2014}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group="note"}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kotu, Tolossa}}
Category:1952 births
Category:Living people
Category:Ethiopian men long-distance runners
Category:Olympic athletes for Ethiopia
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1980 Summer Olympics
Category:Ethiopian athletics coaches
Category:20th-century Ethiopian sportsmen
Category:21st-century Ethiopian people

{{Ethiopia-athletics-bio-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tolossa Kotu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolossa_Kotu) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolossa_Kotu?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.