• Ashebir targeted Haile Gebrselassie with a personal attack.

Ashebir Woldegiorgis, the head of the Ethiopian Olympic Committee (EOC), struck a defiant tone amid calls for his resignation following Ethiopia’s disappointing results in the Paris Olympics, stating, “There is no way I will resign.”

During a conference call with reporters late Friday at the Marriott Hotel, Ashebir Woldegiorgis dismissed the demands for his resignation as “unreasonable.” He emphasized that his work in supporting the country’s sports sector is too important for him to step aside at this time. Ashebir, who previously led the country’s Football Federation, noted that his resignation from that role did not bring about any significant change, stating that no one benefited from it.

Team Ethiopia’s performance at the Paris Olympics was criticized as disappointing, with calls for those responsible to be held accountable. Many members of society, including veteran athletes like Haile Gebrselassie, are urging Ashebir to step down and make way for a successor, holding him responsible for the lack of results. However, in the press briefing, the committee members argued that Ethiopia’s performance in Paris was a success, earning one gold and three silver medals, surpassing the tally from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where the country finished with one gold, one silver, and two bronze. They emphasized that the marathon gold medal was especially significant, marking Ethiopia’s first win in this event in 24 years, recalling that Gezahgne Abera had previously won the gold medal in the men’s marathon in Sydney in 2000.

Ashebir shifted the blame onto others instead of taking responsibility. He spent most of the conference attacking Haile Gebrselassie, even though Haile was not responsible for the Paris Olympics preparation. He said, “Even if we step down, there is no way for Haile to take the position.”

Concerning Ethiopia’s absence from a boxing competition, despite a prior announcement to participate, Ashebir explained that the competitor was unable to attend due to not having a passport and being in a refugee camp in London after seeking asylum. Previously, the Ethiopian Olympic Committee announced that Yadesa Lemma would represent the country in the boxing category, having secured the African quota from the International Olympic Committee Task Force after Nigeria’s Omole Dolapo withdrew due to a left knee injury. Initially, Yadesa informed the committee that he would meet them in Paris, but later he stopped answering his phone, Ashebir added. This has led many to question how the committee could have forwarded the name of an athlete who wasn’t even in the country.

When asked why some top athletes, such as Frehiwot Gesese, a steeplechase runner with a personal best from the Wanda Diamond League in Xiamen, China, did not participate in the Olympics, Ashebir blamed the Ethiopian Anti-Doping Authority for not conducting timely tests for banned substances. In a written statement, the Authority rejected the claim, asserting that it had conducted tests for all athletes on both the short and long lists. They clarified that Frehiwot Gesese was not on either list.