Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu won the second world indoor title of her career and won her third world indoor medal in many fields at the Nanjing Indoor Championships at the World Athletics Indoor Championships on Saturday (22).
The 24-year-old recorded 8:37.21, winning 3,000 meters ahead of America’s Shelby Hoolihan and Australia’s Jessica Hull.
Heil’s first world indoor medal took place in 2022 when he won 800m silver. She won 1500m gold in Glasgow two years later and now has a 3000m crown to add to the set. This latest victory marks Ethiopia’s Elle St. Pierre suspending the country’s victory at last year’s event, and Ethiopian athletes won 10 of their last 12 titles, bringing Ethiopia back to a way of winning with discipline.
Hail had already demonstrated her intentions by arriving at WIC Nanjing 25 as the fastest woman in the world, over 3000m.
Competing in the Nanjing Cube, Hail took time as the race began and stayed behind the rest of the field, with Olympic 1500m silver medalist Hal taking the opposite position and heading for the pack.
However, the Ethiopians began moving into the middle of the pack after eight laps. This is because Tanaka Hoshi, Japan, took over the lead with the hull on his shoulder. Their positions remained much the same until Hal tried to walk three laps.
The 2018 World U20 800m finalists surged, unstoppable, and first crossed the line, with Hull and Houlihan engaged in a fierce battle with the silver behind her. However, it was Houlihan who pitted the hull into the line to win her first global medal.
“To win this event, I prepared myself very strongly and am very pleased to have won the race,” Heil said. “I was sick at home just before coming to Nanjing, so I stayed on my back to save myself before making my own push. I’m healthy now and here I’m here to win.
“Last year I won 1500m. I’ve now won 3000m. I’m so happy about that. I did my best and God helped me.
World 2000m Record-Holder Hull was Australia’s first medalist in the women’s 3000m after finishing fourth in Glasgow and sixth in Belgrade, and was delighted with historic bronze.
Yemi Galadima for World Athletics
Female 3000m medalist 🥇freweyni hailu (eth) 8:37.21
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