Tsegay breaks world indoor 1500m record in Lievin with 3:53.09 – AthleticsAfrica
Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Ethiopia

Tsegay breaks world indoor 1500m record in Lievin with 3:53.09

World bronze medallist Gudaf Tsegay sets the track alight at the Meeting d’Athletisme Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais – a World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting.

Gudaf Tsegay on her way to winning the 1500m at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Lievin (© Jean-Pierre Durand)
Gudaf Tsegay on her way to winning the 1500m at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Lievin (© Jean-Pierre Durand)

On an evening of stunning middle-distance performances at the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais, Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay produced the highlight by taking two seconds off the world indoor 1500m record, winning at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in 3:53.09.

The world bronze medallist followed the swift early tempo as the pacemaker led the field through 400m in 58.97 and 800m in 2:05.94.

With three laps to go, Tsegay had a four-second lead over double European indoor champion Laura Muir but she showed no signs of slowing down, passing through 1000m in 2:37.36.

The clock read 2:52 with two laps to go and Tsegay maintained her pace with another lap just outside 30 seconds.

She dug in for the final circuit and crossed the line in 3:53.09, taking more than two seconds off the world indoor record set by compatriot Genzebe Dibaba in Karlsruhe in 2014.

Muir finished second in a British indoor record of 3:59.58 with team-mate Melissa Courtney-Bryant taking third in 4:04.79.

“I’m very happy to set a world indoor record,” said Tsegay. “I have been training really hard and I set myself a target to break the world indoor record.”

Tsegay’s record-breaking performance was book-ended by two other athletes who very nearly broke world records.

Ethiopian steeplechase specialist Getnet Wale won the men’s 3000m in 7:24.98, the second-fastest indoor performance in history, while USA’s Grant Holloway won the men’s 60m hurdles in 7.32, just 0.02 shy of the world indoor record.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Meet The Authors

Editorial Team at World Athletics | Website | + Posts

World Athletics (formerly the International Association of Athletics Federations - IAAF) is the international governing body for the sport of athletics, such as running, jumping and throwing.

You May Also Like

Africa

Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay takes gold in women’s 5,000m; Kenyan Emmanuel Korir triumph in the men’s 800m; Hugues Fabrice Zango of Burkina Faso soars to...

Kenya

Two-time Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon strikes Kenya’s first gold in the women’s 1500m, clocking a blistering time of 3:52.96 to regain her world...

Ethiopia

The 25-year-old eclipsed the championship record of 3:59.75, held by compatriot Gelete Burka, to lead an Ethiopian clean sweep of the women's 1500m, crossing...

Africa

African athletes Gudaf Tsegay, Beatrice Chepkoech and Kibiwott Kandie's respective marks over 1500m, 5km and the half-marathon have been ratified.

Click to access the login or register cheese