Led by Gudaf Tsegaye Ethiopian athletes flew high in Poland

Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay stormed to second on the world indoor mile all-time list, clocking 4:16.16 for a runaway victory at the ORLEN Copernicus Cup, this season’s third World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting, in Torun, Poland, on Wednesday (8).
The 26-year-old, who set the world indoor 1500m record of 3:53.09 at the World Indoor Tour Gold event in Lievin in 2021, went into the race in Torun targeting the record mile mark of 4:13.31 set by Genzebe Dibaba in 2016. Tsegay was second in that race, running 4:24.98 as an 18-year-old, and now, seven years and six global medals later; she also has the second-fastest women’s indoor mile in history to her name.
The world 5000m champion and world indoor 1500m gold medalist showed her intent right from the start and followed the pacemaker through 400m in 1:01.1. Although the pace slowed, Tsegay was led to 800m in 2:07.21 and continued on to clock 3:11.26 at 1200m.
She eventually won by almost 13 seconds, with Poland’s Weronika Lizakowska second in 4:29.06 and Jamaica’s Adelle Tracey third in 4:30.17.
Making her 3000m debut, Freweyni Hailu used her 800m speed to hold off her compatriots and lead an Ethiopian top four in a tactical race. Moving ahead at the bell, the world indoor 800m silver medalist powered away from world indoor 3000m bronze medalist Ejgayehu Taye and world indoor champion Lemlem Hailu to win the farthest race of her career so far in 8:46.92.
After finishing second over 800m in Karlsruhe, this time Freweyni Hailu triumphed by almost a second, with Taye, the world 5km record-holder, second in 8:47.81. Lemlem Hailu was third in 8:49.10, while world 3000m steeplechase silver medallist Werkuha Getachew finished fourth in 8:51.55