American athletes are sweeping the podium at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. As Elle St. Pierre solidified her position as the 3000m event’s undisputed champion, today was all glamour and glitz. The newly crowned world champion is also a new mother and will soon be able to throw a spectacular birthday party for her baby.
Tonight, Elle St. Pierre accomplished several records, including winning the 3000m world title. In 2022, she won silver in the same event, and this year she became the first American to win the world championship in this category. Watching her mother from the stands, dominate the grid, her soon-to-be one-year-old son Ivan saw the feat live as it would go down in the annals of the sport.
In the end, the American athlete’s times in the first 2000 meters were very crucial. Jessica Hull, Beatrice Chepkoech, and Gudaf Tsegay were the ones challenging Ella St. Pierre for the gold. But with the right amount of effort, the American athlete could keep up her pace to the last lap.
She achieved an impressive time of 8:20.87, which stunned everyone in the stands. The time she clocked was not only enough for her championship record but also an American record. As Ella St. Pierre struck gold, Ethiopian athlete Gudaf Tsegay (8:21.13) had to settle for silver.
Tsegay was the direct rival to St. Pierre before the finals, due to her last year’s 5000m title victory; however, the American athlete was just too fast to catch up tonight. Beatrice Chepkoech secured bronze as she clocked 8:22.68. The 3000m race would go into the annals of the sport, as the performance by the 29-year-old mother was just astonishing.
Elle St.Pierre is the 3000m world champ ‼️
364 days after becoming a mom, she grabs the biggest win of her career 🥹
8:20.87 championship record ⏱️#WorldIndoorChamps pic.twitter.com/u85lISnVeQ
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) March 2, 2024
A fairytale comeback for Ella St. Pierre
The 2022 World Indoor Championships saw Ella St. Pierre on a fiercely competitive stage. However, her Ethiopian rival Lemlem Hailu grabbed the gold by just a few seconds ahead of St. Pierre, so she had to be satisfied with the silver.
The American athlete almost missed the gold by a few lengths, but it wasn’t something that broke her confidence. But, the athlete had to skip the 2023 event due to her pregnancy, but even skipping out on such a major event was not something that could break her spirit.
She never stopped preparing for the gold once she could commit to her training regime. And, eventually, against all odds, she prevailed victorious in the 3000m event of the 2024 World Indoor Championships.
