Below is an excerpt from the Fast Women newsletter, posted with permission. Fast Women produces a high-quality, weekly newsletter, mostly centered around women’s distance running.
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From the Fast Women Newsletter
Ajee’ Wilson has quite the collection of medals, but one thing missing, until now, was a senior world championship gold medal. After winning two world indoor silver medals (2016, 2018) and two world outdoor bronze medals (2017, 2019) in the 800m, Wilson added a gold medal on Sunday at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, in Belgrade, Serbia. Wilson ran a tactically wise race, and once she made her move, it was never even close. She won in 1:59.09, 1.46 seconds ahead of silver medalist Freweyni Hailu of Ethiopia (2:00.54). Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi, the 2019 world outdoor champion in the 800m, finished third in 2:00.66. (Race Video | World Champs Results)
The race went out at a manageable pace, with Jamaica’s Natoya Goule leading through 400m in 59.28. Wilson ran in fourth place, boxed in, but she remained patient. With just over 200m to go, she found an opening and took it. Wilson said after the race that she didn’t look at the video screen to check her lead, she just focused on getting to the finish. Wilson has been working on her closing speed and it’s paying off. She covered the last 200m in 29.59 seconds, and ran particularly fast—14.42 seconds—between 600m and 700m.
Olivia Baker, the other U.S. competitor in the 800m, finished sixth in her 800m heat in 2:02.35 the day before, and did not advance to the final. “Everyone has a kick at this level and margins for error are small,” she wrote in her Instagram stories. Wilson said that she told Baker that when she ran at her first world indoor meet, she came in as the top seed and didn’t make the final. Hopefully there are more opportunities ahead for Baker, who had a fantastic season to make it to this meet.
Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, the favorite coming in, warmed up for Saturday’s 800m prelims but made a last-minute decision to withdraw from the event due to a quad injury.
