Keely Hodgkinson (1:57) & Gudaf Tsegay (4:16) Rip Fast Times in Torun
By Jonathan Gault
February 8, 2023
The 2023 World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold made its fourth stop of 2023 today in the Polish city of Torun for the Orlen Copernicus Cup. World 5,000 champ Gudaf Tsegay and Olympic/World 800 silver medalist Keely Hodgkinson were the headliners and both got world-leading wins as Tsegay ran the second-fastest indoor mile ever by a woman (4:16.16) while Hodgkinson came from behind to defeat the surprising Noelie Yarigo in winning the 800 in 1:57.85.
The women’s 3000m was also loaded with talent but in the end it was a rookie – Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu, making her 3000m debut – who took the victory in 8:46.92 after splitting 59.8 for her final 400.
Recap & analysis of the distance events below.
Go here for full results. Go here for a World Athletics recap of the other events including field events.
Women’s 800: Hodgkinson has to work for it
This race was billed as a battle between World silver medalist Hodgkinson and Commonwealth/Diamond League champion Mary Moraa, but that matchup never truly materialized as Moraa, running her first-ever indoor race, could not hang with the quick pace and finished an uncompetitive 4th in 2:01.51.
Instead, Hodgkinson’s chief competition came from 37-year-old Noelie Yarigo of Benin. Yarigo opened her 2023 season by running a world-leading 1:59.29 on Sunday in Val-de-Reuil – her fastest time, indoors or out, since 2016 – and went out hard today, just behind the pacer (57.09 at 800). Hodgkinson was 10 meters back at that point but slowly reeled Yarigo in before taking the lead on the backstraight of the bell lap. Yarigo fought bravely and while she couldn’t match Hodgkinson’s 1:57.87, she wound up second in a huge pb of 1:58.48.
Results
| Pos | Order / Lane | Bib | Athlete | Date Of Birth | Club/Country | Mark | Rank | ||||
| 1 | 7 / 5 | 37 |  |
HODGKINSON Keely | 02-03-03 |  |
GREAT BRITAIN | 1:57.87 | WL MR | 1 | |
| 2 | 8 / 6 | 4 | |
YARIGO Noelie | 85-12-26 |  |
BENIN | 1:58.48 | PB | 2 | |
| 3 | 4 / 3 | 119 | |
HORVAT Anita | 96-09-07 |  |
SLOVENIA | 2:01.42 | 3 | ||
| 4 | 6 / 4 | 50 | |
MORAA Mary | 00-06-15 |  |
KENYA | 2:01.51 | 4 | ||
| 5 | 2 / 2 | 123 | |
NAKAAYI Halimah | 94-10-16 |  |
UGANDA | 2:01.64 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 3 / 2 | 103 | |
KOCZANOWA Margarita | 99-02-01 |  |
POLAND | 2:02.36 | PB | 6 | |
| 7 | 5 / 3 | 73 | |
SARNA Angelika | 97-10-01 | |
POLAND | 2:02.74 | PB L | 7 | |
| 8 | 1 / 1 | 84 | |
WIŚNIEWSKA Aleksandra | 04-09-29 | |
POLAND | 2:09.84 | 8 | ||
| 9 / 6 | 109 | |
LEMIESZ Aneta | 81-01-17 | |
POLAND | DNF |
Quick Take: A solid run for Hodgkinson
Given what she’s accomplished the past two years, the bar is high for Hodgkinson. Today’s run was fast – anything under 1:58 indoors is moving – but not unexpected given Hodgkinson ran 1:57.20 in her opener last year and was coming off a 1:23.41 world indoor best in the 600 two weeks ago.
Afterwards on the race broadcast, Hodgkinson’s coach Jenny Meadows said she believes Hodgkinson can run faster.
“I think she’ll be quite disappointed with that,” Meadows said. “She’s in way better shape than that. But come on, it’s still one of the fastest times in the world, ever!”
Quick Take: Noelie Yarigo crushes her pb at age 37
Yarigo couldn’t believe her time
A few years ago, Yarigo began pacing Diamond League races – which is not uncommon for aging athletes who are becoming less competitive in their primary events. But what has happened since then is uncommon: Yarigo got faster in the 800. Last summer, Yarigo made the semis at Worlds, then ran 1:59.75 in August in Rovereto, her first sub-2:00 in more than five years.
This year, Yarigo has been even better. Her 1:59.29 last week was the second-fastest time of her life, and her 1:58.48 today crushed her 2016 pb of 1:59.12. It’s almost unheard-of for a veteran athlete at Yarigo’s age (37) to improve so much in the 800 meters. We’d love to know what changed for her.
Women’s mile: Tsegay runs #2 indoor time ever
Ethiopia’s world 5,000m champion Gudaf Tsegay traveled to Torun for a shot at something she was denied a year ago: the indoor mile world record. Last year, Tsegay went after Genzebe Dibaba’s 4:13.31 world record in Lievin but the record attempt was derailed early as Tsegay fell early in the race. Today there were no such issues but Dibaba’s record survived as Tsegay had to settle for #2 all-time with a 4:16.16 win.
Tsegay looked disappointed to miss the WR
Considering Tsegay has run 3:53.09 (the world record) and 3:54.77 for 1500 during the last two indoor seasons, 4:13.31 was certainly within her capabilities with a strong run. Typically, Tsegay likes to get out hard and hold on – the pacer split 58.97 for the first 400 when she ran her 1500 WR in 2021. And while Tsegay was out fairly quickly today, pacer Saron Berhe slowed significantly for the next 400, reaching 800 in 2:07.08 with splits of 61.16-65.92 – not what you want to see in a WR attempt.
Berhe stepped off at that point, with Tsegay (2:07.21) now behind pace and requiring a negative split for the WR. It didn’t come, and a disappointed-looking Tsegay crossed the line in 4:16.16 well shy of the record.
Results
| Pos | Lane | Bib | Athlete | Date Of Birth | Club/Country | Mark | Rank | ||||
| 1 | 7 | 28 | |
TSEGAY Gudaf | 97-06-23 |  |
ETHIOPIA | 4:16.16 | WL PB | 1 | |
| 2 | 2 | 112 | |
LIZAKOWSKA Weronika | 98-11-02 | |
POLAND | 4:29.06 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 4 | 48 | |
TRACEY Adelle | 93-05-27 |  |
JAMAICA | 4:30.17 | 3 | ||
| 4 | 3 | 51 | |
DAMINK Marissa | 95-10-24 |  |
NETHERLANDS | 4:31.85 | 4 | ||
| 5 | 1 | 70 | |
PŁOCIŃSKA Aleksandra | 99-10-05 | |
POLAND | 4:32.23 | PB | 5 | |
| 6 | 6 | 11 | |
MAKI Kristiina | 91-09-22 |  |
CZECH REPUBLIC | 4:32.30 | 6 | ||
| 7 | 5 | 76 | |
MEGGER Eliza | 99-08-29 | |
POLAND | 4:33.72 | 7 | ||
| 8 | 27 | |
BERHE Saron | 00-05-29 | |
ETHIOPIA | DNF |
Quick Take: #2 all-time is nothing to be ashamed of, but we understand Tsegay’s frustration – poor pacing cost her a shot at the WR today
If you’re billing a race as a world record attempt – which was the case in this race – one of the top priorities has to be finding a strong pacer. Unfortunately the pacing was not up to snuff today and it hurt Tsegay’s chances at the record – though considering she missed it by almost three seconds, there’s no guarantee she would have gotten it anyway.
It is worth noting that Tsegay’s 800 split of 2:07.21 is actually more than a second faster than the 2:08.5 Sifan Hassan split when she ran her outdoor WR of 4:12.33 in 2019. But Hassan is a kicker. Tsegay is not – she likes to get out and run hard from the front and wasn’t able to do that today.
Women’s 3000: Freweyni Hailu impresses in 3000m debut
On Sunday in Val-de-Reuil, a top Ethiopian 800 runner ran her first career 3000m race and won in impressive fashion. Four days later in Torun, another top Ethiopian 800 runner ran her first career 3000m race and won in impressive fashion.
The first was Diribe Welteji, last year’s 800m 4th placer at Worlds, who ran a world-leading 8:33.44 on Sunday despite miscounting laps and briefly stopping with one lap to go. The second was Freweyni Hailu, last year’s World Indoor 800m silver medalist, who closed in 2:41 for her last kilometer (59.8 last 400, 28.6 last lap) to win in Torun in 8:46.92. Hailu’s win was particularly impressive as she was facing a star-studded field including the reigning World Indoor bronze medalist (Ejgayehu Taye, 2nd, 8:47.81), World Indoor champion (Lemlem Hailu, 3rd, 8:49.10), and World steeple silver medalist (Werkwuha Getachew, 4th, 8:51.55). All four of them were still in it with a kilometer to go, but Freweyni Hailu – who does have 1500 experience, having finished 4th in the 2021 Olympics and 2022 Worlds – blasted them all with a terrific turn of speed.
Results
| Pos | Lane | Bib | Athlete | Date Of Birth | Club/Country | Mark | Rank | ||||
| 1 | 1 | 25 | |
HAILU Freweyni | 01-02-12 | |
ETHIOPIA | 8:46.92 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 10 | 21 | |
TAYE Ejgayehu | 00-02-10 | |
ETHIOPIA | 8:47.81 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 9 | 24 | |
HAILU Lemlem | 01-05-25 | |
ETHIOPIA | 8:49.10 | 3 | ||
| 4 | 8 | 26 | |
GETACHEW Werkwuha | 95-12-07 | |
ETHIOPIA | 8:51.55 | 4 | ||
| 5 | 7 | 55 | |
KOSTER Maureen | 92-07-03 | |
NETHERLANDS | 8:51.62 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 2 | 100 | |
GALANT Martyna | 95-01-26 | |
POLAND | 8:53.43 | 6 | ||
| 7 | 4 | 124 | |
NANYONDO Winnie | 93-08-23 | |
UGANDA | 8:55.23 | 7 | ||
| 8 | 5 | 20 | |
MARQUES Agueda | 99-03-19 |  |
SPAIN | 8:58.02 | 8 | ||
| 9 | 6 | 106 | |
KONIECZEK Alicja | 94-11-02 | |
POLAND | 9:00.68 | 9 | ||
| 10 | 3 | 82 | |
TOPKA Beata | 99-01-20 | |
POLAND | 9:03.51 | PB | 10 | |
| 11 | 11 | 23 | TSIHAY Haile Gebru | 02-01-20 | |
ETHIOPIA | 9:32.53 | 11 |
Men’s 1500: Habz holds off Mills
Both France’s Azeddine Habz and Great Britain’s George Mills have been off to strong starts to their 2023 seasons but only one could win today and that was Habz, who held off Mills to win in 3:35.59, just shy of Mohamed Katir’s 3:35.48 world leader from Sunday. Mills was second in 3:35.92, just missing his 3:35.88 indoor pb set two weeks ago.
| Pos | Lane | Bib | Athlete | Date Of Birth | Club/Country | Mark | Rank | ||||
| 1 | 10 | 31 | |
HABZ Azeddine | 93-07-19 |  |
FRANCE | 3:35.59 | PB | 1 | |
| 2 | 14 | 33 | |
MILLS George | 99-05-12 | |
GREAT BRITAIN | 3:35.92 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 11 | 17 | |
GOMEZ Jesus | 91-04-24 | |
SPAIN | 3:36.33 | SB | 3 | |
| 4 | 13 | 95 | |
ROZMYS Michał | 95-03-13 | |
POLAND | 3:36.54 | 4 | ||
| 5 | 12 | 22 | |
ZELEKE Samuel | 99-03-09 | |
ETHIOPIA | 3:38.57 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 5 | 12 | |
SASINEK Filip | 96-01-08 | |
CZECH REPUBLIC | 3:38.74 | SB | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 115 | |
ELMER Tom | 97-04-01 |  |
SWITZERLAND | 3:39.17 | PB | 7 | |
| 8 | 9 | 68 | |
OSTROWSKI Filip | 01-07-12 | |
POLAND | 3:40.52 | 8 | ||
| 9 | 6 | 71 | |
RAK Filip | 03-02-03 | |
POLAND | 3:40.90 | PB | 9 | |
| 10 | 1 | 101 | |
GROBERSKI Michał | 00-06-10 | |
POLAND | 3:42.60 | PB | 10 | |
| 11 | 4 | 3 | |
VERHEYDEN Ruben | 00-12-22 |  |
BELGIUM | 3:43.15 | 11 | ||
| 12 | 7 | 87 | |
WYDERKA Maciej | 02-07-29 | |
POLAND | 3:44.35 | 12 | ||
| 13 | 3 | 108 | |
KOWALCZYK Andrzej | 98-11-30 | |
POLAND | 3:47.15 | 13 | ||
| 2 | 52 | |
FOPPEN Mike | 96-11-29 | |
NETHERLANDS | DNF | ||||
| 15 | 93 | |
CZERWIŃSKI Adam | 88-10-02 | |
POLAND | DNF |
Men’s 800: Kramer takes it
Sweden’s Andreas Kramer, 5th at World Indoors last year, remained undefeated in 2023, earning his third win in 11 days by running 1:46.37 to defeat Kenya’s Collins Kipruto (2nd in 1:46.82). Poland’s Patryk Dobek, who won the European indoor title on this track in 2021 in a season that culminated with Olympic bronze in Tokyo, was awful in this one, finishing dead last in 1:52.34.
| Pos | Order / Lane | Bib | Athlete | Date Of Birth | Club/Country | Mark | Rank | ||||
| 1 | 8 / 5 | 121 | |
KRAMER Andreas | 97-04-13 |  |
SWEDEN | 1:46.37 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 6 / 4 | 49 | |
KIPRUTO Collins | 94-04-12 | |
KENYA | 1:46.82 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 2 / 2 | 18 | |
BEN Adrian | 98-08-04 | |
SPAIN | 1:46.96 | SB L | 3 | |
| 4 | 4 / 3 | 72 | |
BORKOWSKI Mateusz | 97-04-02 | |
POLAND | 1:47.27 | 4 | ||
| 5 | 3 / 2 | 45 | |
BARONTINI Simone | 99-01-05 |  |
ITALY | 1:47.42 | PB | 5 | |
| 6 | 10 / 6 | 38 | |
LEARMONTH Guy | 92-04-20 | |
GREAT BRITAIN | 1:47.73 | 6 | ||
| 7 | 1 / 1 | 110 | |
LEWALSKI Kacper | 03-05-07 | |
POLAND | 1:48.25 | SB | 7 | |
| 8 | 7 / 4 | 75 | |
SIERADZKI Patryk | 98-10-06 | |
POLAND | 1:49.83 | 8 | ||
| 9 | 5 / 3 | 114 | |
DOBEK Patryk | 94-02-13 | |
POLAND | 1:52.34 | 9 | ||
| 9 / 5 | 34 | |
WEBB Jamie | 94-06-01 | |
GREAT BRITAIN | DNF | ||||
| 11 / 6 | 64 | |
BRYLIŃSKI Robert | 91-04-02 | |
POLAND | DNF |
Go here for full results. Go here for a World Athletics recap of the other events including field events.
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