Sifan Hassan appears so weak that she frequently appears to toy with falling during races. The Dutchwoman is as thin as a reed, weighing in at a scant 50 kg, and she has a history of falls. While the women’s marathon was nearing its conclusion on Saturday at the Paris Olympics, she briefly brought up that possibility.
She had stayed with a group of about ten leaders, and with the last kilometer of the difficult course through Paris yet to go, it had come down to two Ethiopian athletes for the gold medal. World record holder Tigst Assefa was determined to make life as tough as possible for a rival who had applied for refuge in the Netherlands as a youngster. Tigst Assefa was battling for the Ethiopian flag.
Sifan attempted to swerve to the right of Tigst, who promptly obstructed the way. Tigst swiftly caught up to the Dutch runner as she attempted to pass on the left at the final tight turn before the finish line came into view. It seemed for a moment that Sifan might crash into the throngs of supporters.
Sifan, however, showed that she is made of steel when she managed to survive and finish the race in a time that set an Olympic record of two hours, 22 minutes, and 55 seconds. She had gained three seconds on Tigst to win the gold. She had ran four races, including two on the track, during her hardly surreal ten days at the Olympics, and it concluded with the greatest high.
Paris Olympics 2024 : The Paris supporters, who gathered in great numbers along both sides of the course until the final racer finished, cheered as the Dutchwoman shouted with joy at the finish.
Sifan became the first woman and only the second athlete to medal in all three distance events in a single Olympics with her gold in the marathon, which came after her bronzes in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. She tried to emulate the legendary Czech distance runner Emil Zatopek, who won the three distance events at the Helsinki Games in 1952.
The scheduling of major meets in modern athletics makes it nearly impossible for athletes to double up in middle- or long-distance events. To undertake it, a generational talent is required, but perseverance is needed to carry it out successfully. Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway competed in both the 1,500 and 5,000 meters. He won the 5,000 meters heats and final 15 hours after finishing fourth in the shorter event.
Sifan is exerting effort on a new level. She accomplished an even more insane schedule at the Olympics in Tokyo: five races over eight days, a gold double in the 5,000–10,000 meters, and a bronze in the 1,500 meters. With that accomplishment, she became just the second woman to complete a distance double in the Olympics. Paris Olympics 2024 The first was Tirunesh Dibaba in Beijing in 2008, and Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet did so in Paris.
“I’m at a loss for words. I was always kicking myself for not running the 10,000 and 5,000 meters during the race. Sifan remarked, “I was telling myself that I would feel great today if I hadn’t done that.” “I started to feel better at 20 kilometers in. I had a great feeling. I knew then that I desired gold.
It was extremely difficult for the runners, with a steep climb and a challenging drop around the 27-kilometer mark. While the women opted for a moderate pace, Ethiopia’s men’s marathon champion Tamirat Tola decided to speed up the 500-meter slope.
Sifan, who had enough legs left in the end to demonstrate her track finishing skills, commented, “I’ve never pushed myself through to the finish line as I did today.”
What makes Sifan stick to such a strict schedule, then? “For me, it is crucial to follow my heart,” she stated at Tokyo 2021. Winning gold medals is not nearly as significant as doing that. That helps me stay inspired and to appreciate this wonderful sport.
To the rise, add the falling. It happened in the 1,500-meter heats in Tokyo, but she got up and prevailed. During the 2023 Budapest World Championships, Sifan was leading going into the final stretch when she lost focus and fell after touching Gudaf Tsegey’s shoulder with her elbow. She crossed the eleventh line. Sifan expressed regret after Dutch sprinter-hurdler Femke Bol also faltered in the relay, speculating that “perhaps today is national fall down day.”
Shifan, who made her debut at the distance in the 2023 London Marathon and went on to win the Chicago Marathon in October in 2:13.44, setting a new record, was ecstatic.
“I was so happy in the London Marathon, but today I’m more happy, I can’t believe I’m Olympic marathon champion! When I finished, the whole moment was a release. It is unbelievable. I have never experienced anything like that. Even the other marathons I have run were not close to this.”
She made a quiet debut at the 2016 Rio Games, but rose to prominence at the 2019 Doha worlds where she won the 1,500m and 10,000m. A trainee at the Albert Salazar’s Oregon centre, his suspension due to doping allegations followed. Sifan, who denied any doping, continues to train in the U.S.
Sifan’s celebrations went on for a long time on Saturday. She was still with the Dutch supporters, the Dutch flag slung across her shoulders, when Shantoshi Shrestha of Nepal crossed the finish line more than 32 minutes after her. The victor approached Shantoshi to give him a hug and say hello.
“Flying Finn” Paavo Nurmi won an incredible five gold medals at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris: 1,500, 5,000, individual, team, and 3000 meters. Sifan can proudly claim to have continued that legacy a century later, having fallen, risen, traveled more than 62 kilometers, and ultimately waving the winner’s medal.
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