1998 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
Team Results -- Women 's
Table:
Rank
Country
Team
Time

Kenya
Tegla Loroupe
Joyce Chepchumba
Leah Malot
3:29:43

Romania
Lidia Simon
Cristina Pomacu
Constantina Diţă-Tomescu
3:32:19

Spain
Julia Vaquero
María Luisa Lárraga
Rocío Ríos
3:34:18

4
Russia
Alina Ivanova
Svetlana Zakharova
Firiya Sultanova-Zhdanova
3:34:37

5
Japan
Yukiko Okamoto
Kazumi Matsuo
Mayumi Ichikawa
3:36:18

6
Italy
Maria Guida
Lucilla Andreucci
Franca Fiacconi
3:36:42

7
South Africa
Elana Meyer
Nicole Whiteford
Marietjie McDermott
3:37:17

8
France
Rakiya Maraoui
Zahia Dahmani
Annick Clouvel
3:38:13

9
Germany
Sylvia Renz
Maren Östringer
Birgit Jerschabek
3:40:18

10
Switzerland
Franziska Rochat
Daria Nauer
Ursula Jeitziner
3:40:52

11
Ethiopia
Asha Gigi
Leila Aman
Elsabet Truneh
3:41:02

12
Portugal
Albertina Dias
Rosa Oliveira
Fátima Cabral
3:41:05

13
United States
Jody Hawkins
Shelly Steely
Christine McNamara
3:41:45

14
Belarus
Galina Karnatsevich/Baruk
Yelena Mazovka
Yelena Makolova
3:44:34

15
Great Britain
Liz Yelling/Talbot
Debbie Percival
Alison Wyeth
3:48:15

16
Yugoslavia
Olivera Jevtić
Mirjana Glisovic
Suzana Čirić
3:49:04

17
Czech Republic
Alena Peterková
Dita Hebelková
Irena Šádková
3:52:58

18
Zambia
Mable Chiwama
Chanda Mwansa
Jean Mpundu
4:01:43

Leveraging the provided table and the supporting text listed below.

Answer the following question: What was the country of the team member who represented her country five times in the Olympics known as from 2003 to 2006 ? Provide just your answer in a JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Use only the information given.

Kenya ( /ˈkɛnjə/ ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Kenya ( Swahili : Jamhuri ya Kenya ) , is a country in Africa with 47 semiautonomous counties governed by elected governors . At 580,367 square kilometres ( 224,081 sq mi ) , Kenya is the world 's 48th largest country by total area . With a population of more than 47.6 million people , Kenya is the 29th most populous country . Kenya 's capital and largest city is Nairobi , while its oldest city and first capital is the coastal city of Mombasa . Kisumu City is the third largest city and also an inland port on Lake Victoria . Other important urban centres include Nakuru and Eldoret . Kenya is bordered by South Sudan to the northwest , Ethiopia to the north , Somalia to the east , Uganda to the west , Tanzania to the south , and the Indian Ocean to the southeast . According to archaeological dating of associated artifacts and skeletal material , the Cushites first settled in the lowlands of Kenya between 3,200 and 1,300 BC , a phase referred to as the Lowland Savanna Pastoral Neolithic . Nilotic-speaking pastoralists ( ancestral to Kenya 's Nilotic speakers ) started migrating from present-day southern Sudan into Kenya around 500 BC . European colonisation of Kenya began in the 19th century during the European exploration of the interior . Modern-day Kenya emerged from a protectorate established by the British Empire in 1895 and the subsequent Kenya Colony , which began in 1920 . Numerous disputes between the UK and the colony led to the Mau Mau revolution , which began in 1952 , and the subsequent declaration of independence in 1963 .
Tegla Chepkite Loroupe ( born 9 May 1973 ) is a Kenyan long-distance track and road runner . She is also a global spokeswoman for peace , women 's rights and education . Loroupe holds the world records for 25 and 30 kilometres and previously held the world marathon record . She was the first African woman to hold the marathon World Record , which she held from 19 April 1998 until 30 September 2001 . She is the three-time World Half-Marathon champion . Loroupe was also the first woman from Africa to win the New York City Marathon , which she has won twice . She has won marathons in London , Rotterdam , Hong Kong , Berlin and Rome . In 2016 , she was the person organising the Refugee Team for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio .
Joyce Chepchumba ( born 6 November 1970 in Kericho ) is a long distance athlete from Kenya .
Leah Malot ( born July 6 , 1972 ) is a runner from Kenya . She is known for her long career . She started her international career by winning a gold medal at the 1987 All-Africa Games , aged only 15 . A decade later she was a constant competitor at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships . Malot competed at the 1987 World Championships , but did not qualify past the 10000 metres heats . At the 1999 World Championships she failed to finish the 10000 metres race . She won 5000 metres at the 2000 ISTAF meeting of IAAF Golden League meeting in Berlin timing 14 minutes , 39.83 seconds , a new African Record . The previous African record , 14:40.19 was set by Zahra Ouaziz of Morocco in 1998 , while the previous Kenyan record , 14:46.41 was held by Rose Cheruiyot since 1996 . However , Malot failed at the Kenyan trials for the 2000 Summer Olympics . Malot won 3000 metres at the 2002 IAAF Super Grand Prix event in Qatar . She won Kenyan trials for the 2003 World Championships , but eventually did not compete in Paris . The same year she won IAAF Grand Prix 5000 metres at the Osaka meeting She won the 1998 Dam tot Damloop race in the Netherlands .
Romania ( /roʊˈmeɪniə/ ( listen ) ro-MAY-nee-ə ; Romanian : România [ romɨˈni.a ] ( listen ) ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central , Eastern , and Southeastern Europe . It has borders with the Black Sea to the southeast , Bulgaria to the south , Ukraine to the north , Hungary to the west , Serbia to the southwest , and Moldova to the east . It has a predominantly temperate-continental climate . With a total area of 238,397 square kilometers ( 92,046 square miles ) , Romania is the 8th largest country and also the 6th most populous member state of the European Union , having almost 20 million inhabitants . Its capital and largest city is Bucharest , and other major urban areas include Cluj-Napoca , Timișoara , Iași , Constanța , Craiova , Brașov , and Galați . The River Danube , Europe 's second-longest river , rises in Germany 's Black Forest and flows in a general southeast direction for 2,857 km ( 1,775 mi ) , coursing through ten countries before emptying into Romania 's Danube Delta . The Carpathian Mountains , which cross Romania from the north to the southwest , include Moldoveanu Peak , at an altitude of 2,544 m ( 8,346 ft ) . Modern Romania was formed in 1859 through a personal union of the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia . The new state , officially named Romania since 1866 , gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877 . Following World War I after declaring its neutrality in 1914 , when Romania fought on the side of the Allied powers starting with 1916 , Bukovina , Bessarabia , Transylvania as well as parts of Banat , Crișana , and Maramureș became part of the sovereign Kingdom of Romania . In June-August 1940 , as a consequence of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and Second Vienna Award , Romania was compelled to cede Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union , and Northern Transylvania to Hungary . In November 1940 , Romania signed the Tripartite Pact and , consequently , in June 1941 entered World War II on the Axis side , fighting against the Soviet Union until August 1944 , when it joined the Allies and recovered Northern Transylvania .
Lidia Slăvuțeanu-Șimon ( born 4 September 1973 ) is a Romanian long-distance runner . She competed in the Olympic marathon five times ( 1996-2012 ) , winning a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics . She is also a former marathon world champion .
Cristina Pomacu ( born 15 September 1973 in Calafat , Dolj ) is a female long-distance runner from Romania who mainly competed in the marathon . She is a triple winner of the annual Belgrade Marathon ( 1994 , 2000 and 2001 ) , and twice won the silver medal at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships ( 1995 and 1997 ) . Pomacu competed in the women 's marathon at the 1994 European Athletics Championships ( taking 24th place ) and was chosen to represent Romania at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics ( although she failed to finish the race ) . She was ever present at the World Half Marathon Championships from 1995 to 2000 and frequently finished in the top ten , forming part of a strong Romanian women 's team .
Constantina Diță ( formerly Constantina Diță-Tomescu born on January 23 , 1970 in Turburea , Gorj County ) , is a Romanian long-distance runner , who specializes mainly in the half marathon and marathon . She was the marathon gold medallist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics , having previously won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics . She also represented her country at the Olympics in 2000 and 2004 . She has a marathon best of 2:21:30 hours . She was the champion at the 2005 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships - the first Romanian to win that honour . She was the 2004 Chicago Marathon winner .
Spain ( Spanish : España [ esˈpaɲa ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Kingdom of Spain ( Spanish : Reino de España ) , [ a ] [ b ] is a country in Southwestern Europe with some pockets of Spanish territory across the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean . Its continental European territory is situated on the Iberian Peninsula . Its territory also includes two archipelagoes : the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa , and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea . The African enclaves of Ceuta , Melilla , and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country ( Morocco ) . [ h ] Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory . The country 's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar ; to the north and northeast by France , Andorra , and the Bay of Biscay ; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean . With an area of 505,990 km2 ( 195,360 sq mi ) , Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe , the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union , and the fourth largest country in the European continent . By population ( about 47 million ) , Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union . Spain 's capital and largest city is Madrid ; other major urban areas include Barcelona , Valencia , Seville , Zaragoza , Málaga and Bilbao . Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago . Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician , Greek , Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE , after which the region was named Hispania , based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp ( a ) n or Spania . At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe , invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces , including the Suebi , Alans and Vandals .
Julia Vaquero Sousa ( born 18 September 1970 in Chamonix , France ) is a retired Spanish athlete who competed in the long-distance events . She represented her country at the 1996 Summer Olympics , as well as four World Championships . Although born in France , at the age of two months she returned to her native A Guarda in Galicia . She is considered one of the best Galician athletes of all time .
María Luisa Larraga Cacho ( born December 10 , 1970 in Zaragoza ) is a Spanish runner who specializes in the 10,000 metres .
María Rocío Ríos Pérez ( born March 13 , 1969 , León , Spain ) is a retired female long-distance runner from Spain , who represented her native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in the women 's marathon race , finishing in fifth place . A resident of Gijón , Ríos set her personal best ( 2:28:20 ) in the classic distance on October 15 , 1995 in San Sebastián . She is a four-time national champion in the 10,000 metres ( 1992 , 1993 , 1996 , and 1997 ) , and a three-time national champion in the half marathon ( 1992 , 1994 , and 1995 ) .
Russia ( Russian : Росси́я , tr . Rossiya , IPA : [ rɐˈsʲijə ] ) , or the Russian Federation , [ e ] is a European country located in Eastern Europe with a vast expanse of territory that stretches across Northern Asia . At 17,125,200 square kilometres ( 6,612,100 sq mi ) , it is by far the largest country in the world by area , covering more than one-eighth of the Earth 's inhabited land area , spanning eleven time zones , and bordering 16 sovereign nations . The territory of Russia extends from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east , and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Black Sea and the Caucasus in the south . With 146.7 million inhabitants living in the country 's 85 federal subjects as of 2020 , Russia is the most populous nation in Europe and the ninth-most populous nation in the world . Russia 's capital and largest city is Moscow ; other major urban areas include Saint Petersburg , Novosibirsk , Yekaterinburg , Nizhny Novgorod , Kazan and Chelyabinsk . The East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD . Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants , the medieval state of Rus arose in the 9th century . In 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire , beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium . Rus ultimately disintegrated into a number of smaller states , until it was finally reunified by the Grand Duchy of Moscow in the 15th century . By the 18th century , the nation had greatly expanded through conquest , annexation , and exploration to become the Russian Empire , which was the third largest empire in history , stretching from Poland on the west to Alaska on the east . Following the Russian Revolution , the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic ( Russian SFSR ) became the largest and leading constituent of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( USSR/Soviet Union ) , the world 's first constitutionally socialist state .
Alina Petrovna Ivanova ( Russian : Алина Петровна Иванова ; born March 16 , 1969 in Kildishevo , Yadrinsky District , Chuvash ASSR ) is a retired Russian race walker , best known for winning the gold medal in the women 's 10 km walk at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo , Japan . She represented the Unified Team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona , Spain . She changed to the marathon run later in her career and was a two-time winner at both the Prague International Marathon and the Dublin Marathon .
Svetlana Vladimirovna Zakharova ( Russian : Светлана Владимировна Захарова ) , ( born 15 September 1970 in Chuvashia ) is a Russian long-distance runner , who specializes in marathon races . She won several international marathons , such as : the Honolulu Marathon ( 1997 , 2002 and 2009 ) , the Chicago Marathon ( 2003 ) and the Boston Marathon ( 2003 ) . She participated twice in the Olympic Games . At the Olympic Games in 2004 at Athens she finished 9th in the marathon in 2:32:04 . At the Olympic Games in 2008 at Beijing she finished 22nd in the marathon in 2:32:16 . In the 1990s sometimes she raced under the name Svetlana Vasilyeva . Svetlana Zakharova has been married to her coach Nikolai Zacharov .
Firaya Rifkatovna Sultanova-Zhdanova ( Russian : Фирая Рифкатовна Султанова-Жданова ; born April 29 , 1961 in Tyukovo , Tatarstan ) is a retired female long-distance runner from Russia . She set her personal best in the women 's marathon on June 21 , 2003 in Duluth , Minnesota , clocking 2:27:05 . Sultanova represented Russia at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta , Georgia , where she failed to reach the final of the women 's 10,000 metres competition .
Japan ( Japanese : 日本 , Nippon [ ɲippoꜜɴ ] ( listen ) or Nihon [ ɲihoꜜɴ ] ( listen ) ) is an island country located in East Asia . It is bordered by the Sea of Japan to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east , and spans more than 3,000 kilometers ( 1,900 mi ) along the coast of the continent from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Philippine Sea in the south . Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire , Japan encompasses a stratovolcanic archipelago of about 6,852 islands , with five main islands ( Hokkaido , Honshu , Kyushu , Shikoku , and Okinawa ) comprising 97% of the country 's total area of 377,975 square kilometers ( 145,937 sq mi ) . Japan is officially divided into 47 prefectures and traditionally into eight regions . Approximately two-thirds of the country 's terrain is mountainous and heavily forested , and less than one-eighth of land is suitable for agriculture . Consequently , Japan is among the most densely populated and urbanized countries in the world , with over 90% of its population living in urban areas . The largest of these is the metropolitan area centered on the capital city of Tokyo , which is the most populous in the world and home to more than 38 million people . Japan itself is the world 's eleventh most populous country with a population of 126.2 million , of which 97.8% are ethnically Japanese . The kanji ( or Chinese characters ) that make up the name of Japan in the Japanese language mean sun origin ; in the Western world , the country is often known by the sobriquet Land of the Rising Sun . Periods of influence from other regions , primarily China , followed by periods of isolation , particularly from Western Europe , have characterized the history of Japan . While archaeological evidence indicates that Japan was inhabited as early as the Upper Paleolithic period , the first written mention of the archipelago appears in Chinese texts from the first century AD . Between the fourth and ninth centuries , the kingdoms of Japan became gradually unified under an Emperor and imperial court based in Heian-kyō ( modern Kyoto ) .
Yukiko Okamoto , also known as Sachiko Okamoto , ( Japanese : 岡本幸子 ; born 29 November 1974 ) is a retired Japanese runner who specialized in the half marathon and marathon . At the 1990 World Cross Country Championships she finished eighteenth in the junior race , and won a silver medal in the team competition . At the 1995 World Cross Country Championships she finished fifteenth in the senior race and ended fourth in the team competition . She also won a bronze medal at the 1996 World Road Relay Championships . She later finished ninth at the 1998 World Half Marathon Championships and eighth at the 2000 World Half Marathon Championships . These two championships ended with a fifth place and silver medal , respectively , in team competition . Okamoto became Japanese champion once , in the 10,000 metres in 2000 . Her personal best times were 15:27.77 minutes in the 5000 metres , achieved in June 1996 in Nishinomiya ; 32:06.42 minutes in the 10,000 metres , achieved in October 2000 in Sendai ; 1:09:12 hours in the half marathon , achieved in March 2000 in Yamaguchi ; and 2:26:21 hours in the marathon , achieved in March 2001 in Nagoya .
Kazumi Matsuo ( 松尾 和美 , Matsuo Kazumi , born April 16 , 1974 in Kobe ) is a female marathon runner from Japan , who won the Nagoya Marathon on March 11 , 2001 in a personal best time of 2:26:01 hours after having triumphed in the Berlin Marathon seven months earlier . She finished ninth at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics .
Mayumi Ichikawa ( Japanese : 市河 麻由美 ; born May 3 , 1976 ) is a female long-distance runner from Japan . She set her personal best in the women 's marathon on March 11 , 2001 in Nagoya , clocking 2:27:22 .
Italy ( Italian : Italia [ iˈtaːlja ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Italian Republic ( Italian : Repubblica Italiana [ reˈpubblika itaˈljaːna ] ) , is a European country consisting of a peninsula delimited by the Alps and surrounded by several islands . Italy is located in south-central Europe , and it is also considered a part of Western Europe . The country covers a total area of 301,340 km2 ( 116,350 sq mi ) and shares land borders with France , Switzerland , Austria , Slovenia , and the enclaved microstates of Vatican City and San Marino . Italy has a territorial exclave in Switzerland ( Campione ) and a maritime exclave in the Tunisian Sea ( Lampedusa ) . With around 60 million inhabitants , Italy is the third-most populous member state of the European Union . The capital and largest city is Rome ; other major cities are Milan , Naples , Turin , Palermo , Genoa , Bologna , Florence and Venice . Due to its central geographic location in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean , Italy has historically been home to myriad peoples and cultures . In addition to the various ancient peoples dispersed throughout what is now modern-day Italy , the most predominant being the Indo-European Italic peoples who gave the peninsula its name , beginning from the classical era , Phoenicians and Carthaginians founded colonies mostly in insular Italy , Greeks established settlements in the so-called Magna Graecia of Southern Italy , while Etruscans and Celts inhabited central and northern Italy respectively . An Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom in the 8th century BC , which eventually became a republic with a government of the Senate and the People . The Roman Republic initially conquered and assimilated its neighbours on the Italian peninsula , eventually expanding and conquering parts of Europe , North Africa and Asia . By the first century BC , the Roman Empire emerged as the dominant power in the Mediterranean Basin and became a leading cultural , political and religious centre , inaugurating the Pax Romana , a period of more than 200 years during which Italy 's law , technology , economy , art , and literature developed . Italy remained the homeland of the Romans and the metropole of the empire , whose legacy can also be observed in the global distribution of culture , governments , Christianity and the Latin script .
Maria Guida ( born 23 January 1966 in Vico Equense ) is an Italian long-distance runner .
Lucilla Andreucci ( born December 19 , 1969 in Rome ) is a former female long-distance runner from Italy .
Franca Fiacconi ( born 4 October 1965 in Rome ) is a marathon runner from Italy .
South Africa , officially the Republic of South Africa ( RSA ) , is the southernmost country in Africa . It is bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres ( 1,739 mi ) of coastline of Southern Africa stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans ; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia , Botswana , and Zimbabwe ; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini ( Swaziland ) ; and it surrounds the enclaved country of Lesotho . South Africa is the largest country in Southern Africa and the 24th-largest country in the world by land area and , with over 58 million people , is also the world 's 24th-most populous nation . It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World or the Eastern Hemisphere . About 80 percent of South Africans are of Bantu ancestry , divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different African languages , nine of which have official status . The remaining population consists of Africa 's largest communities of European , Asian ( Indian ) , and multiracial ( Coloured ) ancestry . South Africa is a multiethnic society encompassing a wide variety of cultures , languages , and religions . Its pluralistic makeup is reflected in the constitution 's recognition of 11 official languages , which is the fourth-highest number in the world . Two of these languages are of European origin : Afrikaans developed from Dutch and serves as the first language of most coloured and white South Africans ; English reflects the legacy of British colonialism , and is commonly used in public and commercial life , though it is fourth-ranked as a spoken first language . The country is one of the few in Africa never to have had a coup d'état , and regular elections have been held for almost a century . However , the vast majority of black South Africans were not enfranchised until 1994 . During the 20th century , the black majority sought to claim more rights from the dominant white minority , with this struggle playing a large role in the country 's recent history and politics .
Elana Meyer , OIS , ( born 10 October 1966 ) is a South African long-distance runner who won the silver medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in the 10,000 metres event . Meyer set the 15 kilometres road running African record of 46:57 minutes in November 1991 in Cape Town . The record was equalled by Mestawet Tufa in 2008 . The record was beaten by Tirunesh Dibaba in 2009 , who posted a new world record of 46.28 minutes . Meyer also held the half marathon African record ( 1:06:44 hours ) , set in January 1999 in Tokyo . The record was broken by Mary Keitany of Kenya at the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships by running the distance in 1:06:36 hours . She was the gold medallist at the 1994 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and set world records in that event in 1991 , 1997 , 1998 , and 1999 . She also had several good placings in top level marathon races .
France ( French : [ fʁɑ̃s ] ( listen ) ) , officially the French Republic ( French : République française , pronounced [ ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛːz ] ( listen ) ) , is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . [ XIII ] The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean . It is bordered by Belgium , Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast , Switzerland and Italy to the east , and Andorra and Spain to the south . The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . The country 's 18 integral regions ( five of which are situated overseas ) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres ( 248,573 sq mi ) and a total population of 67.02 million ( as of July 2019 [ update ] ) . France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris , the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban areas include Lyon , Marseille , Toulouse , Bordeaux , Lille and Nice . France , including its overseas territories , has the most number of time zones of any country , with a total of 12 . During the Iron Age , what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls , a Celtic people . Rome annexed the area in 51 BC , holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476 , who formed the Kingdom of Francia . The Treaty of Verdun of 843 partitioned Francia into East Francia , Middle Francia and West Francia . West Francia , which became the Kingdom of France in 987 , emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages , following its victory in the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337-1453 ) .
Rakiya Maraoui Quétier ( born 12 September 1967 ) is a Moroccan-born French former long-distance runner who competed mainly in the marathon and cross country running . She competed in the marathon at the World Athletics Championships in 1993 and 2003 , and represented France at the 2004 Summer Olympics . She was a three-time participant at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships ( 1986 , 2000 , 2001 ) and ran at the 1998 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships . She was the marathon gold medallist at the 1989 Jeux de la Francophonie . On the road running circuit , she was the winner of the 1990 Roma-Ostia Half Marathon and 2001 Corrida de Houilles Born in Bni Bataou near the city of Beni Mellal , she is the sister of Fatna Maraoui , who later competed for the Italy national athletics team . Rakiya distinguished herself at the 1999 European Cross Country Championships winning , under the team classification , the European title at Velenje Slovenia , alongside Fatima Yvelain and Fatima Hajjami . In 2001 , she won the team bronze medal at the 2000 IAAF World Cross Country Championships at Vilamoura Portugal , alongside Light-Fatima Yvelain , Yamna Oubouhou-Belkacem and Blandine Bitzner-Ducret . The following year , at the World Cross Country Championships at Ostend , she won another team bronze medal , alongside Oubouhou Yamna-Belkacem , Rodica Nagel and Zahia Dahmani . In 2003 , she finished third at the Paris Half Marathon , and fifth in the Paris Marathon and placed 21st at the marathon of the World Championships in Paris / Saint-Denis . In the marathon of the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004 , she did not finish . Nationally , she won the title of champion of France in the 10 000 m in 2000 , in Cross-country in 2000 and 2001 ( long race ) and in the marathon in 1999 .
Zahia Dahmani ( born 2 June 1972 , in Roubaix ) is a former French athlete , who specialized in the long-distance running . Zahia won the French national title for the half marathon in 2001 , the 5000 metres in 1997 , the 10,000 metres in 1997 and 1999 , and 10K run in 1997 and 2000 . In 1996 , during the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Palma , Spain , she won the silver medal in the team event alongside her compatriots Christine Mallo and Muriel Linsolas . At the European Cross Country Championships , she received the team silver medal in 1999 and the bronze team medal in 1996 .
Germany ( German : Deutschland , German pronunciation : [ ˈdɔʏtʃlant ] ) , constitutionally the Federal Republic of Germany ( German : Bundesrepublik Deutschland , listen ( help·info ) ) , [ f ] is a country in Central and Western Europe . It borders Denmark to the north , Poland and the Czech Republic to the east , Austria and Switzerland to the south , France to the southwest , and Luxembourg , Belgium , and the Netherlands to the west . Germany includes 16 constituent states , covers an area of 357,386 square kilometres ( 137,988 sq mi ) , and has a largely temperate seasonal climate . With 83 million inhabitants , it is the second most populous state of Europe after Russia , the most populous state lying entirely in Europe , as well as the most populous member state of the European Union . Germany is a very decentralised country . Its capital and largest metropolis is Berlin , while Frankfurt serves as its financial capital and has the country 's busiest airport . Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity . A region named Germania was documented before AD 100 . Beginning in the 10th century , German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire . During the 16th century , northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation . After the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire , the German Confederation was formed in 1815 . The German revolutions of 1848-49 resulted in the Frankfurt Parliament establishing major democratic rights .
Birgit Jerschabek-Keipke ( born 17 May 1969 ) is a retired ( East ) German long-distance runner . She was born in Ludwigslust . As a junior , she won the 10,000 metrees at the 1987 European Junior Championships [ citation needed ] and finished sixth at the 1988 World Junior Championships . She finished sixteenth in 10,000 metres at the 1990 European Championships 65th at the 1990 World Cross Country Championships , fifteenth in the 1992 Olympic marathon and eighth at the 1992 World Half Marathon Championships . She later competed in three consecutive World Championship marathons without finishing any of them : the 1993 , 1995 and 1997 World Championships . Also , she only managed a 48th place at the 1998 World Half Marathon Championships . In the East German championships she won bronze medals in 1987 , 1988 and 1989 ( 10,000 metres ) and silver medals in 1989 ( 3000 ) and 1990 ( 3000 , 10,000 and cross-country running ) . The winner in all events was Kathrin Ullrich . In 1990 she also won a bronze medal ( 1500 metres ) and a silver medal ( 3000 ) at the East German indoor championships . She represented the club SC Traktor Schwerin . She later became German half marathon champion in 1991 , 1993 and 1997 and marathon champion in 1997 . She represented LG Sieg and ABC Ludwigshafen during this part of her career .
Switzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a country situated in the confluence of western , central , and southern Europe . [ note 4 ] It is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons , with federal authorities seated in Bern . [ note 1 ] Switzerland is a landlocked country bordered by Italy to the south , France to the west , Germany to the north , and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east . It is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau , the Alps , and the Jura , spanning a total area of 41,285 km2 ( 15,940 sq mi ) , and land area of 39,997 km2 ( 15,443 sq mi ) . While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory , the Swiss population of approximately 8.5 million is concentrated mostly on the plateau , where the largest cities are located , among them the two global cities and economic centres of Zürich and Geneva . The establishment of the Old Swiss Confederacy dates to the late medieval period , resulting from a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy . Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognized in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 . The Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the founding document of Switzerland which is celebrated on Swiss National Day . Since the Reformation of the 16th century , Switzerland has maintained a strong policy of armed neutrality ; it has not fought an international war since 1815 and did not join the United Nations until 2002 . Nevertheless , it pursues an active foreign policy and is frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world . Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross , one of the world 's oldest and best known humanitarian organisations , and is home to numerous international organisations , including the second largest UN office . It is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association , but notably not part of the European Union , the European Economic Area or the Eurozone .
Daria Nauer ( born 21 May 1966 ) is a retired Swiss long-distance runner , who won a bronze medal in 10,000 metres at the 1994 European Championships in Helsinki in a Swiss record time of 31:35.96 minutes .
Ursula Jeitziner ( born 14 March 1972 ) is a Swiss long-distance runner . She competed in the women 's 10,000 metres at the 1996 Summer Olympics .
Ethiopia ( /ˌiːθiˈoʊpiə/ ; Amharic : ኢትዮጵያ , ʾĪtyōṗṗyā , listen ( help·info ) , Tigrinya : ኢትዮጵያ , Oromo : Itiyoophiyaa , Somali : Itoobiya , Afar : Itiyoophiyaa ) , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia , is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa . It shares borders with Eritrea to the north , Djibouti to the northeast , Somalia , and the de facto state of Somaliland to the east , Kenya to the south , South Sudan to the west and Sudan to the northwest . With over 109 million inhabitants , Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world and the second-most populous nation on the African continent with a total area of 1,100,000 square kilometres ( 420,000 sq mi ) . Its capital and largest city is Addis Ababa , which lies a few miles west of the East African Rift that splits the country into the Nubian and Somali tectonic plates . Some of the oldest skeletal evidence for anatomically modern humans has been found in Ethiopia . It is widely considered as the region from which modern humans first set out for the Middle East and places beyond . According to linguists , the first Afroasiatic-speaking populations settled in the Horn region during the ensuing Neolithic era . Tracing its roots to the 2nd millennium BCE , Ethiopia 's governmental system was a monarchy for most of its history . Oral literature tells that the monarchy was founded by the Solomonic dynasty of the Queen of Sheba , under its first king , Menelik I . In the first centuries , the Kingdom of Aksum maintained a unified civilization in the region , followed by the Ethiopian Empire circa 1137 . During the late 19th-century Scramble for Africa , Ethiopia and Liberia were two nations that preserved their sovereignty from long-term colonisation by a European colonial power and many newly-independent nations on the continent subsequently adopted its flag colours . However , the country was later occupied by Italy in 1936 and became Italian Ethiopia ( part of Italian East Africa ) until it was liberated during World War II .
Asha Gigi Roba ( born 15 October 1973 in Arsi ) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specialises in the marathon . Her personal best of 2:26:05 hours was set in 2004 at the Paris Marathon , where she came second . She represented Ethiopia in the event at the 2004 Summer Olympics and the World Championships in Athletics ( 2003 and 2005 ) . She has won the Toronto Waterfront Marathon and the Florence Marathon . In her early career in the 1990s she won team medals with Ethiopia at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the World Road Relay Championships .
Leila Aman ( born 24 November 1977 in Arsi ) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner , who specializes in the half marathon and cross-country running .
Portugal ( Portuguese : [ puɾtuˈɣal ] ) , officially the Portuguese Republic ( Portuguese : República Portuguesa [ ʁɛˈpuβlikɐ puɾtuˈɣezɐ ] ) , [ note 5 ] is a country located mostly on the Iberian Peninsula , in southwestern Europe . It is the westernmost sovereign state of mainland Europe , being bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and east by Spain . Its territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira , both autonomous regions with their own regional governments . Portugal is the oldest nation state on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in Europe and the world , its territory having been continuously settled , invaded and fought over since prehistoric times . The pre-Celtic people , Iberians , Celts , Carthaginians and Romans were followed by the invasions of the Visigoths and Suebi Germanic peoples . After the Muslim conquests of the Iberian Peninsula , most of the territory was part of Al-Andalus until their expulsion . Portugal as a country was established during the early Christian Reconquista . Founded in 868 , the County of Portugal gained prominence after the Battle of São Mamede in 1128 . The Kingdom of Portugal was later proclaimed following the Battle of Ourique in 1139 , and independence from León was recognised by the Treaty of Zamora in 1143 . On 12 December 2017 , the Portuguese Navy commemorated the 700th anniversary of its official creation by King Denis of Portugal . Tracing its origins back to the 12th century , it is the oldest continuously serving navy in the world . In the 15th and 16th centuries , Portugal established the first global empire , becoming one of the world 's major economic , political and military powers .
Maria Albertina da Costa Dias Pereira ( born 26 April 1965 in Miragaia ) is a former Portuguese long-distance runner . She competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics for her native country , starting in 1988 . She was the first female Portuguese world champion in cross country running , having won the long race at the 1993 IAAF World Cross Country Championships .
The United States of America ( USA ) , commonly known as the United States ( U.S. or US ) or America , is a country consisting of 50 states , a federal district , five major self-governing territories , and various possessions . [ g ] At 3.8 million square miles ( 9.8 million km2 ) , it is the world 's third or fourth-largest country by total area [ b ] and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe . Most of the country is located in central North America between Canada and Mexico . With an estimated population of over 328 million , the U.S. is the third most populous country in the world . The capital is Washington , D.C. , and the most populous city is New York City . Paleo-Indians migrated from Siberia to the North American mainland at least 12,000 years ago . European colonization began in the 16th century . The United States emerged from the thirteen British colonies established along the East Coast . Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the colonies led to the American Revolutionary War lasting between 1775 and 1783 , leading to independence . The United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century - gradually acquiring new territories , displacing Native Americans , and admitting new states - until by 1848 it spanned the continent . During the second half of the 19th century , the American Civil War led to the abolition of slavery in the United States . The Spanish-American War and World War I confirmed the country 's status as a global military power .
Anne Rochelle Steely Ramirez ( born October 23 , 1962 ) , née Anne Rochelle Steely , is a former long-distance runner who competed internationally for the United States . She specialized in the 3,000 meters on the track and later competed in road running events . She made her international debut in cross country and helped the United States the women 's team title at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 1985 . Her focus changed to the 3,000 meters , a distance in which she was a two-time US champion ( outdoors in 1991 and indoors in 1992 ) . She reached the final of that event at the 1991 World Championships in Athletics and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics . Steely 's performances deteriorated and she was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism . However , she made an athletic comeback in 1998 and she won two national road titles , as well as appearing at the Goodwill Games and IAAF World Half Marathon Championships that year . She made one more appearance at the World Half Marathon event in 2000 , but retired to focus on education studies .
Belarus ( /bɛləˈruːs/ ; Belarusian : Беларусь , IPA : [ bʲɛlaˈrusʲ ] ) , officially the Republic of Belarus ( Belarusian : Рэспубліка Беларусь , Russian : Республика Беларусь ) , formerly known by its Russian name Byelorussia or Belorussia ( Russian : Белоруссия ) , is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe bordered by Russia to the northeast , Ukraine to the south , Poland to the west , and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest . Its capital and most populous city is Minsk . Over 40% of its 207,600 square kilometres ( 80,200 sq mi ) is forested . Its major economic sectors are service industries and manufacturing . Until the 20th century , different states at various times controlled the lands of modern-day Belarus , including the Principality of Polotsk ( 11th to 14th centuries ) , the Grand Duchy of Lithuania , the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , and the Russian Empire . In the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution , Belarus declared independence as the Belarusian People 's Republic , which was conquered by Soviet Russia . The Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia became a founding constituent republic of the Soviet Union in 1922 and was renamed as the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic ( Byelorussian SSR ) . Belarus lost almost half of its territory to Poland after the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921 . Much of the borders of Belarus took their modern shape in 1939 , when some lands of the Second Polish Republic were reintegrated into it after the Soviet invasion of Poland , and were finalized after World War II . During WWII , military operations devastated Belarus , which lost about a quarter of its population and half of its economic resources . The republic was redeveloped in the post-war years . In 1945 the Byelorussian SSR became a founding member of the United Nations , along with the Soviet Union and the Ukrainian SSR .
Halina Karnatsevich , née Baruk ( Belarusian : Галiна Карнацэвiч , born 2 November 1969 ) is a Belarusian long-distance runner . She finished twelfth in the marathon at the 2005 World Championships in a personal best time of 2:27:14 hours . In 2006 Karnatsevich was found guilty of stanozolol doping . The sample was delivered on 17 June 2006 in an in-competition test in Duluth , Minnesota , United States . She received an IAAF suspension from July 2006 to July 2008 .
Alena Mazouka ( Belarusian : Алена Мазоўка , also Russian : Елена Мазовка - Yelena Mazovka ; born June 30 , 1967 ) is a retired female long-distance runner from Belarus , who represented her native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in the women 's marathon race . There she finished in 24th place in the overall-rankings . Mazovka set her personal best ( 2:29:06 ) in the classic distance in 1997 .
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK or U.K. ) or Britain , [ note 11 ] is a sovereign country located off the north­western coast of the European mainland . Existing under its current name since 1921 , the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain , the north­eastern part of the island of Ireland , and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland . Otherwise , the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to the east , the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the southwest , giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea separates Great Britain and Ireland . The total area of the United Kingdom is 94,000 square miles ( 240,000 km2 ) . The United Kingdom is a unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy . [ note 12 ] The current monarch is Queen Elizabeth II , who has reigned since 1952 , making her the world 's longest-serving current head of state . The United Kingdom 's capital and largest city is London , a global city and financial centre with an urban area population of 10.3 million . Other major cities include Birmingham , Manchester , Glasgow , Leeds and Liverpool . The United Kingdom consists of four constituent countries : England , Scotland , Wales , and Northern Ireland . Their capitals are London , Edinburgh , Cardiff , and Belfast , respectively .
Alison Wyeth ( born 26 May 1964 ) is a female English former middle and long-distance runner .
Serbia and Montenegro ( Serbian : Србија и Црна Гора , romanized : Srbija i Crna Gora ; abbr . Serbian : СЦГ , romanized : SCG ) , also known from 2003 to 2006 as the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro ( Serbian : Државна Заједница Србија и Црна Гора , romanized : Državna Zajednica Srbija i Crna Gora ) , and known as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1992 to 2003 , was a country in Southeast Europe , created from the two remaining federal republics of the Socialist Yugoslavia after its breakup in 1992 . The republics of Serbia and Montenegro together established a federation in 1992 as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ( abbr . FR Yugoslavia or FRY ; Serbian : Савезна Република Југославија , romanized : Savezna Republika Jugoslavija ) [ a ] or Yugoslavia ( Serbian : Југославија , romanized : Jugoslavija ) for short . For the first several years of its existence , the state aspired to be recognized as the sole legal successor to Yugoslavia , but those claims were opposed by other former constituent republics . The United Nations also denied its request to take up Yugoslavia 's membership . Eventually , after the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević from power as president of the federation in 2000 , the country rescinded those aspirations and accepted the opinion of the Badinter Arbitration Committee about shared succession . It re-applied for UN membership on 27 October 2000 and was admitted on 1 November . The FRY was initially dominated by Slobodan Milošević as President of Serbia ( 1989-1997 ) and then President of Yugoslavia ( 1997-2000 ) . Milošević installed and forced the removal of several federal presidents ( such as Dobrica Ćosić ) and prime ministers ( such as Milan Panić ) . However , the Montenegrin government , initially enthusiastic supporters of Milošević , started gradually distancing themselves from his policies . That culminated in regime change in 1996 , when his former ally Milo Đukanović reversed his policies , became leader of Montenegro 's ruling party and subsequently dismissed former Montenegrin leader Momir Bulatović , who remained loyal to the Milošević government .
Olivera Jevtić ( Serbian Cyrillic : Оливера Јевтић , born 24 July 1977 ) is a Serbian long-distance runner . She has represented her country five times at the Olympics in 2000 , 2004 , 2008 , 2012 and 2016 .
The Czech Republic ( /ˈtʃɛk -/ ( listen ) ; Czech : Česká republika [ ˈtʃɛskaː ˈrɛpublɪka ] ( listen ) ) , also known by its short-form name , Czechia ( /ˈtʃɛkiə/ ( listen ) ; Czech : Česko [ ˈtʃɛsko ] ( listen ) ) , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Poland to the northeast , Slovakia to the southeast , Austria to the south , and Germany to the west . The Czech Republic is a landlocked country with a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,866 square kilometers ( 30,450 sq mi ) with a mostly temperate continental climate and oceanic climate . It is a unitary parliamentary republic , with 10.7 million inhabitants . Its capital and largest city is Prague , with 1.3 million residents ; other major cities are Brno , Ostrava , Olomouc and Pilsen . The Czech Republic includes the historical territories of Bohemia , Moravia , and Czech Silesia . The Czech state was formed in the late ninth century as the Duchy of Bohemia under the Great Moravian Empire . In 1002 , the duchy was formally recognized as an Imperial State of the Holy Roman Empire along with the Kingdom of Germany , the Kingdom of Burgundy , the Kingdom of Italy ; and became the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1198 , reaching its greatest territorial extent in the 14th century . Prague was the imperial seat in periods between the 14th and 17th century . The Protestant Bohemian Reformation of the 15th century led to the Hussite Wars , the first of many conflicts with the Catholic Church . Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526 , the whole Crown of Bohemia was gradually integrated into the Habsburg Monarchy . The Protestant Bohemian Revolt ( 1618-20 ) against the Catholic Habsburgs led to the Thirty Years ' War . After the Battle of the White Mountain , the Habsburgs consolidated their rule , eradicated Protestantism , reimposed Catholicism , and adopted a policy of gradual Germanization .
Alena Peterková ( born 13 November 1960 ) is a Czech long-distance runner . She competed in the women 's marathon at the 1992 Summer Olympics .
Dita Hebelková ( born 4 April 1976 ) is a former German mountain runner who won 1998 World Mountain Running Championships . She was born 1976 in the Czech city Jablonec nad Nisou .
Zambia ( /ˈzæmbiə/ ) , officially the Republic of Zambia , is a landlocked country in Southern-Central Africa ( although some sources consider it part of East Africa ) . Its neighbors are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north , Tanzania to the north-east , Malawi to the east , Mozambique to the southeast , Zimbabwe and Botswana to the south , Namibia to the southwest , and Angola to the west . The capital city is Lusaka , located in the south-central part of Zambia . The population is concentrated mainly around Lusaka in the south and the Copperbelt Province to the northwest , the core economic hubs of the country . Originally inhabited by Khoisan peoples , the region was affected by the Bantu expansion of the thirteenth century . Following European explorers in the eighteenth century , the British colonised the region into the British protectorates of Barotziland-North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia towards the end of the nineteenth century . These were merged in 1911 to form Northern Rhodesia . For most of the colonial period , Zambia was governed by an administration appointed from London with the advice of the British South Africa Company . On 24 October 1964 , Zambia became independent of the United Kingdom and prime minister Kenneth Kaunda became the inaugural president . Kaunda 's socialist United National Independence Party ( UNIP ) maintained power from 1964 until 1991 . Kaunda played a key role in regional diplomacy , cooperating closely with the United States in search of solutions to conflicts in Rhodesia ( Zimbabwe ) , Angola , and Namibia . From 1972 to 1991 Zambia was a one-party state with the UNIP as the sole legal political party under the motto One Zambia , One Nation .