Freweyni Hailu of Ethiopia secured her second world indoor title and third world indoor medal across different events at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China on Saturday.
The 24-year-old reigning world indoor 1500m champion won the women’s 3000m in 8:37.21 ahead of Shelby Houlihan (USA) and Jessica Hull (Australia).
Hailu’s first world indoor medal was an 800m silver in 2022. She claimed 1500m gold in Glasgow two years later, and now adds a 3000m title in Nanjing.
This triumph marks Ethiopia’s return to form in this event, after the USA’s Elle St. Pierre interrupted the nation’s winning streak last year, with Ethiopian athletes having won 10 of the last 12 titles.
Hailu arrived as the fastest woman globally over 3000m, having set a world-leading time and personal best of 8:19.98 in Lievin, defeating three-time global champion Gudaf Tsegay to rank third on the world indoor all-time list.
At Nanjing’s Cube, Hailu initially stayed behind the pack, while Olympic 1500m silver medalist Hull moved to the front. With eight laps remaining, Hailu advanced to the middle of the group, as Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka led, closely followed by Hull.
Their positions remained largely unchanged until Hull attempted to break away with three laps left, prompting Hailu to take the lead at the bell.
The 2018 world U20 800m finalist then surged ahead, finishing first, while Hull and Houlihan battled for silver. Houlihan edged out Hull at the line for her first global medal, having previously finished fourth and fifth in the 1500m and 3000m at the 2018 World Indoors.
“To win this event, I prepared myself strongly, and I feel very happy that I won the race,” said Hailu after the race. “I was sick at home just before coming to Nanjing, so I stayed at the back to conserve myself before making my push. I’m healthy now, and I came here to win.
“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.”
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