Ethiopian athletes aim world record in Torun Indoor Race

On Feb 7, 2023 476

Addis Ababa, February 7, 2023 (FBC) – Ethiopian athlete, Gudaf Tsegay, is targeting a world record as she goes toe-to-toe with major medallists in high quality race in ORLEN Copernicus Cup, this season’s third World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting, in Torun, Poland, on February, according to World Athletics.

After breaking the world indoor 1500m record with a 3:53.09 run at the World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Lievin in 2021, Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay targeted the world indoor mile record of 4:13.31, set by Genzebe Dibaba in 2016, when she returned to the French town in 2022. A fall put paid to those plans and although she still won in 4:21.72, she was never on pace to threaten the global mark.

Now, making her season debut as the world 5000m champion and world indoor 1500m gold medallist, the 26-year-old is ready to give it another go.

Genzebe clocked 3:56.46 for 1500m en route to her 4:13.31 world mile record and as well as her 3:53.09 from Lievin two years ago, Gudaf ran 3:54.77 when winning the 1500m in Torun last year and has gone sub-3:55 for the distance on four occasions outdoors, one of those being at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, where she ran 3:54.52 for silver five days before winning her 5000m title.

Joining her on the start line in the women’s mile in Torun will be her compatriot Mekedes Alemeshete as well as Jamaica’s Adelle Tracey and Polish indoor 3000m champion Eliza Megger.

While Gudaf looks to race the clock, strong competition is set for the women’s 800m as Diribe Welteji (Ethiopia), Keely Hodgkinson, and Marry Moraa take to the track for their first indoor three-way battle.

Ethiopia’s world indoor champion Lemlem Hailu is among the headliners in the women’s 3000m field. The 21-year-old, who won in Karlsruhe in 8:37.55, is again taking on her compatriot Ejgayehu Taye, the world 5km record-holder who claimed world indoor 3000m bronze behind Lemlem in Belgrade and moved to fifth on the world 5000m all-time list with her world-leading 14:12.98 outdoors last year.

Ethiopia’s world 3000m steeplechase silver medallist Werkwuha Getachew and world indoor 800m silver medallist Freweyni Hailu, who was second in the 800m in Karlsruhe and will be stepping up to contest her farthest ever race, add further strength to the field and are joined by athletes including Uganda’s Winnie Nanyondo, Maureen Koster of the Netherlands and Poland’s Martyna Galant and Alicja Konieczek.