Freweyni Hailu (born 12 February 2001)[1] is an Ethiopian middle-distance runner. She won the gold medal at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships over 1500 metres.

Freweyni Hailu
Personal information
Full nameFreweyni Hailu Gebreezibeher
NationalityEthiopian
Born (2001-02-12) 12 February 2001 (age 23)
Werie Lehe, Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Sport
CountryEthiopia
SportAthletics
EventMiddle-distance running
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Ethiopia
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 2024 Glasgow 1500 m
Silver medal – second place 2022 Belgrade 800 m
World Road Running Championships
Silver medal – second place 2023 Riga 1 mile

She placed fourth in the 1500 metres at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2022, Hailu became the World Indoor silver medallist at the 800 metres in Belgrade.[2]

Career

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Freweyni Hailu gained her first international experience in 2018 at the World Junior Championships in Tampere, Finland, where she placed fifth in the women's 800m event.

The next year, she was fourth in the under-20 800m race at the African U18–U20 Championships in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Hailu competed in the women's 800 metres at the 2019 African Games, where she was eliminated in the semi-finals.[1]

In June 2021, at the Ethiopian Olympic trials, she ran a personal best in the women's 1500 metres to make the Olympic standard qualifying time for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.[3] She, Lemlem Hailu, and Diribe Welteji were named to the Ethiopian team.[4] At the Games, she finished in fourth place in a time of 3:57.60 behind only, 1–3, Faith Kipyegon, Laura Muir and Sifan Hassan.[5]

On 14 September 2021, at the Hanžeković Memorial in Zagreb, Hailu set an Ethiopian record for the 2000 metres with a time of 5m 25.86s, finishing behind only Francine Niyonsaba who set in this race a world record of 5:21.56. Hailu's mark was the third-fastest in history.[1]

In March 2022, Hailu won the silver medal in the 800m at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade with a personal best time of 2:00.54. Ajeé Wilson came first in 1:59.09, and Halimah Nakaayi was third (2:00.66). It was the first global medal at the indoor 800m for the Ethiopian women in history.[2]

In 2023, she ran a number of personal best times. Including 3:55.68 in the 1500m at the Diamond League final in Eugene, 8:26.61 in the 3000 metres in Chorzow, and 14:23.45 in the 5000 metres in Paris.[6] She finished seventh in the 5000m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in 14:58.31.[7]

In January 2024, competing in Ostrava, she won the women’s mile setting a meeting record and a world leading time of 4:17.36. The time placed her sixth in the women’s mile short track all-time rankings.[8] At the 2024 Copernicus Cup in February 2024, she set a new 1500m personal best, running 3:55.28.[9] She won the gold medal in the final of the women's 1500 metres race at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow.[10]

In May 2024, she led from the front to win the 1500 metres at the 2024 Doha Diamond League.[11]

Competition record

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Representing   Ethiopia
Year Competition Venue Position Event Time
2018 World Junior Championships Tampere, Finland 5th 800 m 2:02.80
2019 African U18 / U20 Championships, U20 events Abidjan, Ivory Coast 4th 800 m 2:06.98
African Games Rabat, Morocco 11th (sf) 800 m 2:05.73
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 4th 1500 m 3:57.60
2022 World Indoor Championships Belgrade, Serbia 2nd 800 m i 2:00.54 PB
World Championships Eugene, United States 11th (sf) 800 m 2:00.11
4th 1500 m 4:01.28
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 7th 5000 m 14:58.31
2024 World Indoor Championships Glasgow, United Kingdom 1st 1500 m 4:01.46

Circuit wins

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Personal bests

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Freweyni HAILU – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Ajee' Wilson wins 800m gold at World Indoor Championships". LetsRun.com. 2022-03-20. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
  3. ^ "2021 Ethiopian Olympic Trials: Gudaf Tsegay (14:13) & Getnet Wale (12:53) among six world-leading times as new stars emerge". LetsRun.com. June 8, 2021.
  4. ^ "Ethiopia selects 34 athletes for Tokyo". World Athletics. 2021-07-02. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  5. ^ "The XXXII Olympic Games | Tokyo 2020 – 1500 metres Women | Final". World Athletics. 2021-08-06. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  6. ^ "Women's and Men's Mile Preview for the World Athletics Road Running Championships". Watch Athletics. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Women's 5000m Final - Saturday, August 26". Watch Athletics. 26 August 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  8. ^ "Freweyni Hailu Shines at Czech Indoor Gala, Breaking into All-Time Top Six in Women's". Watch Athletics. 26 January 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  9. ^ "World-Leading Performances Highlight the 10th Copernicus Cup's in Torun". Watch Athletics. 6 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  10. ^ "Women's 1500m Results - World Athletics Indoor Championships 2024". Watch Athletics. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  11. ^ Collett, Jasmine (May 10, 2024). "Daryll Neita and Molly Caudery in winning form in Doha". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 12 May 2024.