Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay sets a new championship record of 3:54.86 to win the women’s 1500m title at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China on Sunday.
Tsegay holds all four fastest times in history, with two in 2025, and entered as a favourite after her 3:53.92 win in Lievin in February.
This is her second world indoor 1500m title, both with record-breaking performances, and her latest time ranks as the fourth-fastest indoor women’s 1500m ever, trailing only her world record of 3:53.09.
She led an Ethiopian one-two finish, with Diribe Welteji taking silver in 3:59.30, and Great Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell securing bronze with an indoor personal best of 3:59.84.
Tsegay, who also holds the world record for the 5000m outdoors, competed in the 1500m, 5000m, and 10,000m at the Paris Olympics but didn’t medal.
In Nanjing, she returned to form. The 28-year-old led from the start, followed by world 1500m silver medalist and road mile champion Welteji.
Tsegay began to pull away, with Welteji joined by Griffith, while Hunter Bell led a group behind. After a fast start, Tsegay maintained a pace inside world record time for over half the race.
Her victory was assured, but the battle for other medals was intense. Hunter Bell closed in on Welteji and Griffith, leading to a sprint finish.
Welteji secured silver, matching her world outdoor medal from Budapest and improving on her fifth-place finish in Glasgow.
“It was not an easy race, this was a fast time, so I’m very happy about that,” said Tsegay after the race. “For me, it’s the first time. It was my training that led to this.”
“Athletes go through ups and downs, injuries, challenges, it’s no problem. I prefer the indoors. For outdoors, I’ll do the 800m or 10000m, but indoors, I like the 1500m.”
| WOMEN’S 1500m MEDALLISTS | ||
| 🥇 | Gudaf Tsegay (ETH) | 3:54.86 CR |
| 🥈 | Diribe Welteji (ETH) | 3:59.30 |
| 🥉 | Georgia Hunter Bell (GBR) | 3:59.84 PB |
Race Results:
| Pos | Bib | Country | Athlete | Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 586 | ETH | Gudaf TSEGAY | 3:54.86 CR |
| 2 | 587 | ETH | Diribe WELTEJI | 3:59.30 |
| 3 | 599 | GBR | Georgia HUNTER BELL | 3:59.84 PB |
| 4 | 506 | AUS | Georgia GRIFFITH | 4:00.80 AR |
| 5 | 636 | KEN | Susan Lokayo EJORE | 4:03.89 |
| 6 | 738 | USA | Sinclaire JOHNSON | 4:04.07 PB |
| 7 | 742 | USA | Heather MACLEAN | 4:05.45 |
| 8 | 668 | POR | Salomé AFONSO | 4:07.67 |
| 9 | 574 | ESP | Esther GUERRERO | 4:07.76 |
Meet The Authors
Yomog Meje is a former Nigerian junior athlete and the Associate editor at Athletics Africa.
