Sifan Hassan Claims Marathon Gold with Stunning Sprint Finish
In a dramatic finish that underscored her exceptional endurance, Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands won the gold medal in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics, capping off a remarkable series of performances. The 31-year-old athlete crossed the line in an Olympic record time of 2 hours 22 minutes 55 seconds, narrowly beating Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa by three seconds.
Hassan’s victory came just two days after she secured bronze in the 10,000m and six days after earning bronze in the 5,000m. The Dutch runner admitted to second-guessing her decision to compete in multiple events, saying, "Every moment in the race I was regretting that I ran the 5,000m and 10,000m. I was telling myself if I hadn't done that, I would feel great today. The moment I started to feel good was at 20km, I felt so good. Then I knew I wanted gold."
Kenya's Hellen Obiri finished third, trailing Assefa by 12 seconds. Britain's Clara Evans placed 46th with a time of 2:33:01, while Rose Harvey came in 78th with 2:51:03. Calli Hauger-Thackery did not finish the race.
Despite the early start at 08:00, temperatures soared to 24°C, leading several athletes to use ice packs and carry water bottles throughout the race.
Hassan’s latest triumph adds to her impressive Olympic record, which includes gold medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m and a bronze in the 1,500m at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
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