Yann Schrub won the bronze medal in the 3000 meters at the World Indoor Championships on Saturday in Torun, Poland. The French runner finished in 7 minutes, 35 seconds, and 71 hundredths, just one hundredth away from silver. Scottish runner Josh Kerr took the gold in 7:35.56, followed by American Cole Hocker (7:35.70).
This medal caps off an exceptional winter for the sports doctor and 2023 European cross-country champion. In February, he set the French record for the 3000m (7:29.32) and also holds the European record for the 10 km (26:43). “Three races: a French record, a European record, a world medal,” he summarized.
Last-minute participation
Initially, Schrub had not planned to participate in these championships. “Twenty days ago, I didn’t even want to come, I was really focused on my road season. But after the European record for the 10 km, I thought even if all the best are in Torun for the 3000 meters, I still wanted to try my luck, confront them as a 10 km runner,” he explained.
The gamble paid off. “Beyond the medal, what I remember most is that I fought with them until the end, I am on the right track,” he emphasized. He highlighted the difference between the two disciplines: “Today, I missed the silver medal by one hundredth and wasn’t far from the gold, in a discipline that is not mine. Between 26 minutes and 43 seconds of effort in a 10 km race and a five-minute effort here, because at the beginning, it looks a bit, it’s not at all the same thing!”
A free state of mind
