by Deji Ogeyingbo
Gudaf Tsegay Sends a Message with Blazing 1500m in Torun.
Gudaf Tsegay started her 2025 season with a statement. The Ethiopian middle-distance star clocked 3:53.92 in the women’s 1500m at the ORLEN Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland, running the second-fastest indoor time ever. It was a clear sign that she has moved past the disappointment of last year’s Paris Olympics and is ready for another dominant year.
Tsegay’s performance in Torun on Sunday was near perfection. She pushed the pace early, stayed smooth through the middle laps, and closed strong. She missed her own world record by just 0.83 seconds. That record, 3:53.09, was set in 2021 in Lievin, France. The 28-year-old now owns the three fastest indoor times in history.
Her latest run was even more impressive, considering she had been sick just days before. Last Thursday, she struggled in the 3000m at the Lievin meeting, finishing behind her training partner, Freweyni Hailu. After the race, Tsegay revealed she had been battling the flu. But in Torun, there were no signs of struggle. She followed the pacemaker through 400m in 1:02.1, reached 800m in 2:05.2, and controlled the race from start to finish.
The win in Torun was more than just a fast time. It was a message. Tsegay is moving on from a problematic Olympic year. In Paris last summer, she failed to win a medal in the 10,000m, finishing sixth. It was a rare setback for an athlete with a reputation for delivering on the biggest stages.
The frustration of Paris was a sharp contrast to her success in the years prior. She won world championship gold in the 5000m in Eugene in 2022. A year later, she added another title, this time in the 10,000m, at the Budapest World Championships. She also owns an Olympic bronze from Tokyo 2021 in the 5000m. But she left empty-handed on the sport’s biggest stage last year.
Tsegay’s Olympic disappointment was a reminder of how brutal distance running can be. The margins for error are razor-thin. One off day, tactical mistake, or even bad luck can mean the difference between gold and finishing off the podium. For Tsegay, the 2024 Olympics was one of those days. But champions don’t dwell on losses. They find ways to come back stronger.
Better means chasing more records, more medals, and more wins. Tsegay has already done things few in history have matched. Her outdoor 1500m best of 3:50.30 ranks among the fastest ever. Her 5000m world record of 14:00.21, set at the Prefontaine Classic last September, remains untouched. But she is not done.
Her ability to run fast indoors has been a hallmark of her career. She has now won multiple races in Torun, Lievin, and other key indoor meets. The controlled environment and steady pacing suit her well. But Tsegay knows that outdoor dominance is the actual test. The track season is long, and with the Olympics now behind her, she has her eyes set on something more significant.
The 2025 season will be about proving she can still be the best when it matters most. The World Indoor Championships are in March; another showdown with Ethiopia’s deep talent pool is coming up. Then, the outdoor season will bring new opportunities to reclaim her dominance against Sifan Hassan and Faith Kipyegon.
Tsegay’s ability to rebound from setbacks has defined her career. In 2019, she won the 1500-meter bronze at the World Championships in Doha. Three years later, she improved to silver at the Eugene Worlds. By 2023, she was winning global golds in multiple events.
Now, the challenge is clear. She wants to be better than she was in Paris. She wants to be back on the podium, breaking records and proving she is one of the greatest middle-distance runners of her generation.
Her racing style is a blend of strength and tactical awareness. She doesn’t just rely on raw speed; she understands how to control races, when to push, and when to wait. That experience will be crucial as she moves forward in the season.
Sunday’s race in Torun (February 16, 2025) was a perfect start. It showed that her speed is still there, her fitness is already high, and she is hungry to be great again.
