Samuel Tefera, Diribe Welteji get their season off to a flying start

Addis Ababa, January 27, 2024 (FBC) – Samuel Tefera, Diribe Welteji of Ethiopia were among the athletes who got their seasons off to a winning start as the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold kicked off in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Saturday (27).

In a season that culminates with the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 in March, two-time world indoor 1500m champion Tefera made his mark in the 3000m, clocking a world-leading PB of 7:33.80 to lead an Ethiopian 1-2 ahead of Getnet Wale at the Astana Indoor Meet for Amin Tuyakov Prizes.

Wale and Tefera had distanced themselves from the rest of the field early on, closely following the pacemaker. As the pacemaker dropped out, Olympic 3000m steeplechase fourth-place finisher Wale, who ran 7:24.98 for 3000m in Lievin in 2021, remained to the fore.

But Tefera clearly felt comfortable and the former world record-holder made a move with around 500m remaining, easing ahead of his compatriot. It was a lead he wouldn’t relinquish and he picked up his pace over the final lap to achieve a clear win in 7:33.80. Wale was second in 7:34.36.

In the women’s field, world mile champion Welteji also looked in control as she made her track mile debut.

The 21-year-old clocked 4:20.98 to improve on the inaugural road mile record when winning her world title in Riga in October and in Astana she led a breakaway quartet also featuring her Ethiopian compatriots Axumawit Embaye, Gela Hambese and Dahdi Dube behind the pacemaker.

Welteji remained at the front when the pacemaker’s job was done and she ticked off the laps before applying some more pressure. Dube had been dropped by the bell and as Hambese passed Embaye on the final lap, Welteji couldn’t be caught and she won unchallenged in 4:23.76. Hambese was second in 4:24.44.

Nigeria’s 2022 world 100m hurdles champion Tobi Amusan was another athlete to achieve a personal best in Astana as she won the women’s 60m hurdles final in an area record of 7.77.

After leading the heats with a comfortable looking 7.91, she returned to win the final after a powerful second half of her race. In the last race of the programme, Amusan held off USA’s two-time world indoor 60m hurdles champion Nia Ali, who clocked 7.89, and Ireland’s Sarah Lavin, who set a second PB of the day – 7.91 – after her 7.93 in the heats.