HAILU, INGEBRIGTSEN TAKE WORLD INDOOR 3000M CROWNS
By David Monti, @d9monti.bsky.social
(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved – Used with permission.
NOTE: This story was written remotely –Ed.
(22-Mar) – On the second and penultimate day of the 20th World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu and Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen took the gold medals in the the 3000m, the longest event contested at these championships. Hailu, 24, who won the world indoor title at 1500m last year in Glasgow, dominated the last lap to win comfortably in 8:37.21. Ingebrigtsen, also 24, prevailed in a thrilling last-lap shootout with Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi, 7:46.09 to 7:46.25. Although Ingebrigtsen has seven European Athletics Indoor Championships titles to his credit, this was his first global indoor title. He hopes to also win the 1500m tomorrow.
The women’s race went first, and Australia’s Jessica Hull and Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka controlled the early pace. Hull led through 1000m in 2:53.80, then Tanaka took over at the front at 1300m and would stay there through 2000m in 5:54.49. The main medal contenders –Hull, Shelby Houlihan and Whittni Morgan of the United States, and Hailu and Birke Haylom of Ethiopia– stayed in the pack and looked comfortable.
Coming up to 400 meters to go, Hull retook the lead and Tanaka quickly fell back (she would finish tenth). The pace became visibly quicker, and Hailu moved up to join Hull at the lead. She decided before the race that she should be cautious about her pace.
“I was sick at home just before coming to Nanjing,” she told the World Athletics flash quotes team. “So, I stayed at the back to conserve myself before making my push.”
And what a push it was. At the bell she surged away from Hull, and scorched the final lap in 28.7 seconds. None of her rivals could match her pace.
“I’m healthy now, and I came here to win,” Hailu continued. “Last year I won the 1500m, now I’ve won the 3000m, and I’m so happy about that. I try my best, and God helped me with the rest. I don’t know how I will celebrate; my happiness is beyond me.”
On the final circuit, Hull had to quickly turn her attention from Hailu to the fast-finishing Houlihan, who resumed competing this year after serving a four-year doping ban. With 100 meters to go Hull led Houlihan by two tenths of a second, and the American was chasing hard. The two women came down the homestretch nearly side by side, and…
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