Alem Techale of Ethopia wins the 1500m final (© Getty Images)
Alem Techale, 2003 World Youth Champion at 1500m and fiancée of Olympic 10000m champion Kenenisa Bekele, died of a heart attack this morning during training.
Techale, the 1500m World Youth Champion in 2003 was training with Kenenisa Bekele in Ararat, a forest in a hilly area on the outskirts of Addis Abeba. Techale suddenly collapsed and Kenenisa Bekele immediately carried her to his car. On their way to hospital, Alem Techale passed away.
Techale, 18, burst onto the international scene eighteen months ago when she became the first Ethiopian woman to win a major global 1500m title when she beat Russia's Maria Chapaeva in a closely-fought race at the 3rd IAAF World Youth Championship in Sherbrooke, Canada. Her victory gave Ethiopia its only gold of the Championships and helped the country to sixth in the medals table.
Bekele and Techale have been living together for about a year and were engaged. They had planned to get married on the 8th of May in Addis Abeba.
The funeral will be held in Arsela (ETH), the hometown of Alem Techale, tomorrow Wednesday January 5.
IAAF President Lamine Diack has expressed his condolences on behalf of the entire Athletics Family to Kenenisa.
In a letter to the 2004 Athlete of the Year, Diack wrote:"I remember Alem as an extremely gifted athlete who, after being crowned as World Youth Champion in 2003, looked set for a long and successful career in our sport.
"I also recall meeting her at the last edition of the World Athletics Gala when you were honoured as Athlete of the Year, and remember her as a charming person with a warm and pleasant personality. She will be sadly missed."