Yacob Jarso
Yacob Jarso at the 2008 Osaka Grand Prix
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Ethiopian |
| Born |
February 5, 1988 Arsi Zone, Ethiopia |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Running |
| Event(s) | 3000 m st. |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | 3000 m st.: 8:12.13 (Berlin 2009) |
Yacob Jarso Kintra (born 5 February 1988) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner and former steeplechaser. He has represented Ethiopia at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2009 World Championships in Athletics.
He became his country's first Olympic steeplechase finalist in 28 years and set an Ethiopian record (8:13.47 min) en route to fourth place. He has personal bests of 60:07 minutes for the half marathon and 2:06:17 for the marathon.
Born in Assasa, in the Arsi Zone of Ethiopia, he began competing in distance events for the Prisons Police club and hoped to represent his country over 5000 metres or 10,000 metres. He jokingly made a small wager with friends over whether he could manage the steeplechase but he efforts resulted in a recommendation from a coach, he said that he had a gift for the event and should specialise in it. His first international medal came at the 2007 African Junior Championships in Athletics, where he took the 3000 metres steeplechase silver medal behind Abel Mutai. Mutai noted that Jarso represented a challenge to Kenyan dominance of the event: "These Ethiopians are now challenging us in steeplechase. This is serious...I was never going to let an Ethiopian beat us in this event".
Jarso moved to Japan around early 2008 and began competing on the circuit under the Honda corporate athletics stable, taking a win at the Hyogo Relays in April that year. He gained the third steeplechase berth on the Ethiopian team for the 2008 Summer Olympics, alongside the more experienced Nahom Mesfin Tariku and Roba Gari. While his compatriots were eliminated in the heats, Jarso won his qualifying race in a personal best of 8:16.88 to reach the final. He became the first Ethiopian to make the Olympic steeplechase final since Eshetu Tura, who won the bronze at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Jarso was among the leaders for much of the final but slowed at the last hurdle and came in fourth place. He was initially disappointed with the performance, but was satisfied upon learning that his run of 8:13.47 had broken Tura's Ethiopian record for the event, a mark which had stood since the Olympic final in Moscow twenty-eight years earlier. He received the honour of "Warden" from the Police Prisons club for his achievements.
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