ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (APA) – Beijing Olympics double gold medal winner Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia has married fallow athlete Sileshi Sihine, with thousands of people gracing the colourful occasion held in the capital Addis Ababa on Sunday.
Those attending the public wedding including officials from the IAAF, the world wide athletics governing body.
The weeding started early Sunday morning with various activities, including a big public ceremony where Dibaba and Sihen greeted the public while riding a chariot.
The occasion was officially dubbed the “Wedding of the Millennium.”
The 23-year-old Tirunesh, also known as “the baby-faced assassin”, won gold in both the 5,000m and 10,000m at the Beijing Olympics last August, while Sileshi finished second behind compatriot Kenenisa Bekele in the 10,000m race.
Tirunesh Dibaba also broke the Beijing Olympic record in the 5,000m. She is the holder of 10,000m world record in other international race.
Sileshi Sihine, known as a silver man in athletics, also won silver during the Athens Olympic four years ago.
The couple traveled to Milan, Italy, to choose their clothing and rings as well as other essential items for their big day.
The weeding was estimated to have cost them around US$100,000, a fortune by the standards of the local economy.
Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge attended the weeding together with a good number of Ethiopian international athletes.