Lemlem Hailu wins the 3000m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22 (© Getty Images)
Lemlem Hailu maintained Ethiopia’s stranglehold on the women’s 3000m title at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22 with a composed, classy performance on Friday night (18), the 20-year-old kicking off the front on the final lap to win in 8:41.82.
Her victory meant the title went home to the distance-running superpower for the ninth time in the last 10 editions. USA’s Elinor Purrier St Pierre took silver in 8:42.04 with Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye taking bronze in 8:42.23.
With a large field of 20 toeing the line for the straight final, there was unsurprisingly many clipped heels during a cagey opening kilometre, with Ethiopia’s Dawit Seyaum taking over from Canada’s Gabriela Debues-Stafford on the fifth lap and passing 1000m in a relatively pedestrian 3:03.31.
Her teammate, Taye, took over at the halfway stage, towing the bunched field through 2000m in 5:59.09. Slowly but surely, the gears began to shift among the main contenders, with Hailu hitting the front with three laps to run.
At the bell, Seyaum surged up to Hailu’s shoulder, but the 20-year-old Hailu quickly responded. Purrier St Pierre, who’d sat buried in the leading back for much of the race, then unleashed her surge with 150 metres to run, overtaking Taye for second and doing her best to chase down Hailu. But she couldn’t get to her, the US athlete having to settle for silver as Hailu sealed a memorable win – her first global medal as a senior athlete.
Hailu had been world U18 champion over 1500m back in 2017 and set a world U20 indoor record of 4:01.57 in 2020, and in Belgrade she utilised that background to great effect to take gold.
“We were cooperating together and competing at the same time,” said Hailu of her teammates. “It helps us to achieve such performances. If I have the chance, I would like to say big thank you to my husband Jonas and my coach, who is here supporting me. This medal belongs to them.”
For Purrier St Pierre, silver felt like a sweet success, the 27-year-old claiming her first global medal.
“It feels pretty freaking amazing, I’m not going to lie,” she said. “Jenny Simpson told me it’s the best feeling in the world to wear a flag around your shoulders and I agree.”
Purrier St Pierre is also better known as a 1500m specialist but fell short of qualifying for that event in Belgrade when slowing up before the finish at the US Indoor Championships, finishing third. But she channeled that frustration well to take the US title the next day over 3000m and earn her place here.
“It was a huge learning experience for me,” she said of that race in Spokane. “The 1500m didn’t go the way I wanted, but I was really proud of myself for bouncing back. Mentally, that really toughened me up. It worked out well.”
Taye was content, if not overjoyed, with her bronze.
“I was prepared for higher results, but at the end I'm satisfied,” she said. “I came to Belgrade in great shape. That’s why the result is definitely below my expectation, but to grab the world indoor bronze is a cool feeling. It will motivate me to work harder and will make me more confident. One day I’ll try to beat Hailu.”
Debues-Stafford was a close fourth in 8:42.89, with Seyaum fifth in 8:44.55 and Australia’s Jessica Hull sixth in 8:44.97.
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics
| WOMEN'S 3000M MEDALLISTS | ||
| 🥇 | Lemlem Hailu 🇪🇹 ETH | 8:41.82 SB |
| 🥈 | Elle Purrier St Pierre 🇺🇸 USA | 8:42.04 |
| 🥉 | Ejgayehu Taye 🇪🇹 ETH | 8:42.23 |
| Full results | ||
