Meskerem Legesse

Meskerem Legesse first achieved international recognition in February 2004 when she set a world junior indoor record of 2:01.03 at a meet in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She competed at the 2004 Olympics in the 1,500, but did not get past the heats. After the Olympics she ran professionally and moved up in distance, running on the roads in the United States, where she lived after 2004. In 2009, however, she had to retire due to a heart condition.

In July 2013, Legesse was over 8 months pregnant with her second child when she collapsed on the floor of a Chinese restaurant in Westport, Connecticut. Emergency crews attended to her and performed CPR, but she died at Yale-New Haven Hospital shortly thereafter. Her baby was delivered in good health.

Personal Best: 1500 – 4:03.96 (2003).