Freweyni Hailu

Freweyni Hailu (born 12 February 2001) is an Ethiopian middle-distance runner. She won the gold medal at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships over 1500 metres, and the gold medal at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships over 3000 metres.

She placed fifth in the 1500 metres at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2022, Freweyni became the World Indoor silver medallist at the 800 metres in Belgrade. She, Lemlem Hailu, and Diribe Welteji were named to the Ethiopian team. 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.

On 14 September 2021, at the Hanžeković Memorial in Zagreb, Freweyni 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. Freweyni's mark was the third-fastest in history.

Hailu placed fourth over 1500 metres at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July 2022, running 4:01.28 behind Kipyegon, Muir, and compatriot Gudaf Tsegay.

2023: World Mile silver medalist 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. She finished seventh in the 5000m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in 14:58.31.

In October, she was runner-up in the mile run at the 2023 World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia, finishing behind her world record setting compatriot Diribe Welteji, running 4:23.06 for second place ahead of Faith Kipyegon.

2024: World Indoor Champion over 1500 metres 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. At the 2024 Copernicus Cup in February 2024, she set a new 1500m personal best, running 3:55.28. She won the gold medal in the final of the women's 1500 metres race at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow.

In May 2024, she led from the front to win the 1500 metres at the 2024 Doha Diamond League. Later that summer, she placed second behind Kipyegon in the 1500 metres at the 2024 Golden Gala in Rome, and third over 5000 metres at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic.

2025: World Indoor Champion over 3000 metres In February 2025, she won the 3000 metres race at the Czech Indoor Gala in Ostrava with a personal best time of 8:24.17. The following week, she won over 3000 metres in 8:19.98, improving on the world-leading mark she had set in Ostrava nine days prior and moving up to third on the world indoor all-time list, in Liévin on 13 February 2025.

She was awarded a wild card place for the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, for her performances on the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Tour. At the championships, she won a gold medal in the women's 3000 metres race for her second World Indoor title.

Competing in the 2025 Grand Slam Track event in Miami in May 2025, she won the 1500 metres and finished third in the 800 metres to win the overall two-race format in the women's short distance category. On 6 June 2025, she ran a personal best 14:19.33 to finish second over 5000 metres at the 2025 Golden Gala in Rome. In September 2025, she was a finalist over 1500 metres at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, placing sixth overall.

2026 In February 2026, Hailu went into an early world lead with a time of 8:24.59 for the 3000 metres in Liévin, France, finishing ahead of her compatriot and world U20 champion Aleshign Baweke and Italian Nadia Battocletti. Hailu was the pre-race favourite for the 3000 metres at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Toruń, but fell during the race after being pushed by Jessica Hull who herself had been pushed by the Spaniard Marta Garcia, who was later disqualified. Hailu got to her feet 20 metres behind the pack of runners and ultimately recovered enough to finish sixth.

On 31 May, she won the non-Diamond League 1500m in 3:58.25 at the 2026 Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athlétisme de Rabat, finishing ahead of compatriot Haregeweyni Kalayu. On 4 June, she lowered her 5000 metres personal best to 14:18.94 finishing third at the 2026 Golden Gala in Rome, and on 10 June won in the Diamond League in Oslo over 3000 metres. On 28 June, she was runner-up over 1500 metres with 3:55.92 behind Georgia Hunter Bell at the 2026 Meeting de Paris. On 23 August, she ran 14:54.62 to place second over 5000 m in the Diamond League at the 2026 Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Silesia, Poland.

Competition record

Circuit performances

Wins and titles Diamond League 2021 (1500m): Lausanne Athletissima

Personal bests 800 metres – 1:57.57 (Chorzów 2021) 800 metres indoor – 2:00.46 (Karlsruhe 2023) 1500 metres – 3:55.68 (Eugene 2023) 1500 metres indoor – 4:02.50 (Toruń 2022) Mile run - 4:14.79 (Monaco, 2023) Mile run indoors - 4:17.36 (Ostrava, 2024) 2000 metres – 5:25.86 (Zagreb 2021) 3000 metres - 8:24.17 (Ostrava, 2025) 5000 metres - 14:19.33 (Rome, 2025)