Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay improved her own championship record to 3:54.86 to win the 1500m title at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25.
Tsegay now has two world indoor 1500m titles to her name, both set with championship record-breaking performances, and her latest winning time is the fourth-fastest indoor women’s 1500m in history behind her own world record of 3:53.09. She owns all four of the fastest performances of all time, two of them set in 2025, and she went into the championships as a big favourite following her 3:53.92 win in Lievin in February.
She led an Ethiopian top two, Diribe Welteji following her home for silver in 3:59.30 and Great Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell getting bronze in an indoor PB of 3:59.84. Australia’s Georgia Griffith set an Oceanian indoor record of 4:00.80 in fourth.
Tsegay, also the world record-holder in the 5000m outdoors, contested three events – the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m – at the Paris Olympics and was disappointed after missing out on a medal in each of those disciplines.
She was back to her brilliant best in Nanjing.
“It was not an easy race,” said Tsegay, who won world 5000m gold in 2022 and the world 10,000m title in 2023. “This was a fast time, so I’m very happy about that.
“Athletes go through ups and downs, injuries, challenges – it’s no problem. I prefer the indoors. For outdoors, I’ll do the 800m or 10,000m, but indoors I like the 1500m.”
Her passion for the event shows.
The 28-year-old went straight to the front of the race in Nanjing and was tracked early on by world 1500m silver medallist and world road mile champion Welteji.
Tsegay began to create a gap and Welteji was joined by Griffith, while Hunter Bell led a group behind them.
After a blistering start, Tsegay remained inside world record pace for more than half the race. Her win never looked in doubt, but the contest for the two other medals was on.
Hunter Bell closed the gap on Welteji and Griffith, before a fight for the finish line. Welteji managed to hold off her rivals and was rewarded with silver to match her world outdoor medal of the same colour from Budapest, and improve on her fifth-place finish from Glasgow last year.
Hunter Bell also matched the colour of medal that she achieved at the Olympic Games in Paris, bagging bronze by half a second ahead of Griffith.
The British athlete later called it “redemption”.
“I really wanted to bounce back,” said Hunter Bell, who finished fourth at the European Indoor Championships.
“When they went off, I just felt it was fast. I was not wanting to use all my energy too quickly and I was like, ‘be patient’. It’s very brave of her (Tsegay) to run that fast. This medal means a lot. I just want to get as many medals as possible, and I love championship racing.”
| WOMEN’S 1500m MEDALLISTS | ||
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Gudaf Tsegay (ETH) | 3:54.86 CR |
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Diribe Welteji (ETH) | 3:59.30 |
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Georgia Hunter Bell (GBR) | 3:59.84 PB |
| Full results | ||
Credit: World Athletics
