Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma produced another strong display of front-running to claim victory in the women’s 800m at the Prefontaine Classic, a leg of the 2025 Diamond League series, held on Friday night in Eugene, Oregon. Duguma, who has been in superb form this season, crossed the line in 1:57.10 after holding off a spirited challenge from South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso.
Sekgodiso, the reigning World Indoor Champion, pushed Duguma all the way to the finish, clocking an equal personal best of 1:57.16 in a thrilling battle for the title. Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi, the 2019 World Champion, completed the podium with a season’s best of 1:57.89, underlining the depth of talent in the field.
Final Results:
- Tsige Duguma 🇪🇹 — 1:57.10
- Prudence Sekgodiso 🇿🇦 — 1:57.16 (=PB)
- Halimah Nakaayi 🇺🇬 — 1:57.89 (SB)
- Anaïs Bourgoin 🇫🇷 — 1:58.41
- Shafiqua Maloney 🇱🇨 — 1:58.49
- Raevyn Rogers 🇺🇸 — 1:58.49 (SB)
- Jemma Reekie 🇬🇧 — 1:58.66 (=SB)
- Worknesh Mesele 🇪🇹 — 1:59.72
- Mary Moraa 🇰🇪 — 2:00.51
- Athing Mu 🇺🇸 — 2:03.44 (SB)
- Michaela Rose 🇺🇸 — DNF
For Duguma, this triumph extends an impressive run of success. The 24-year-old became Ethiopia’s first-ever women’s 800m World Indoor Champion earlier this year in Glasgow and won the African Games title in March. She also claimed silver at the Paris Olympics and has posted victories at this season’s Diamond League stops in Shanghai, where she set a national and meet record of 1:56.64 and Rabat.
Athing Mu, racing her first 800m in nearly a year, finished 10th in 2:03.44, marking a cautious return to competitive action ahead of the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Duguma’s consistency and fearless racing style are fast establishing her as one of the leading figures in women’s middle-distance running ahead of the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
