Meraf Bahta

Meraf Bahta

280px
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing Sweden
European Championships
	2014 Zürich	5000 m
European Cross Country Championships
	2014 Samokov	Senior race

Meraf Bahta Ogbagaber (born 24 August 1989) is an Eritrean-born Swedish middle-distance runner who specializes in the 1500 metres and 3000 metres.

Biography

She was born in Dekishahay. As a junior she competed in the junior races at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, finishing twelfth in 2006 and sixth in 2007. Together with her team mates she won the silver medal in the team event at the 2007 championships. She finished fifth in the 1500 metres at the 2006 World Junior Championships. At the 2007 All-Africa Games she finished seventh in the 5000 metres. She competed in her first senior cross-country race at the 2008 World Cross Country Championships, but only finished 43rd.

Her personal best times are 4:05.11 minutes in the 1500 metres, achieved in July 2013 in Heusden-Zolder; and 14:59.49 minutes in the 5000 metres, achieved in July 2014 in Palo Alto USA. The 5000 personal best also marked a Swedish record (former was from 1995 held by Sara Wedlund). With the sub-15 race Meraf made her big international breakthrough and immediately became one of the best long distance runners on European soil and a medal contender for future European Championships.

She moved to Sweden in 2008, fleeing from the situation in Eritrea. In Sweden she has continued her running career, getting support from Ulf Friberg, the trainer of Mustafa Mohamed. Bahta got her permanent residency permit in 2012 and has applied for Swedish citizenship. In December she got her citizenship and since 2014 she is eligible to compete for Sweden in international championships.

In 2014 she also won Tjejmilen.

Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing Eritrea
2005	World Cross Country Championships	Saint-Galmier, France	32nd	Junior race	22:43
2006	World Junior Championships	Beijing, China	5th	1500 metres	4:16.01
	World Cross Country Championships	Fukuoka, Japan	12th	Junior race	20:22
2007	World Cross Country Championships	Mombasa, Kenya	6th	Junior race	21:24
	All-Africa Games	Algiers, Algeria	9th	1500 metres	4:15.12
			7th	5000 metres	15:56.30
2008	World Cross Country Championships	Edinburgh, Great Britain	43rd	Senior race	27:31
Representing Sweden
2014	European Championships	Zürich, Switzerland	1st	5000 metres	15:31.39
	European Cross Country Championships	Samokov, Bulgaria	3rd	Senior race	28:52

Personal bests

Outdoor

• 1500 metres – 4:01.34 (Zürich; 28 August 2014)
• 3000 metres – 8:57.06 (Lausanne; 3 July 2014)
• 5000 metres – 14:59.49 (Palo Alto, CA; 4 May 2014)

Indoor

• 1500 metres – 4:29.47 (Gothenburg; 13 February 2010)
• 3000 metres – 9:09.24 (Gothenburg; 22 February 2014)