Sifan Hassan Claims Marathon Gold with Record Time

Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands clinched gold in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics with a dramatic sprint finish, marking her third medal of the Games. The 31-year-old Hassan set an Olympic record with a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes and 55 seconds, finishing three seconds ahead of Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa. Hassan achieved this victory just two days after she secured a bronze medal in the 10,000 meters and only six days after she earned another bronze in the 5,000 meters.

Reflecting on her performance, Hassan admitted she had doubts about competing in the earlier events, stating, “I was regretting that I ran the 5,000m and 10,000m. I told myself that if I hadn’t done that, I would feel great today.” However, she regained her confidence after reaching the 20-kilometer mark, which led her to believe she was destined for gold. Kenya’s Hellen Obiri finished the marathon in third place, 12 seconds behind Assefa. British runners Clara Evans and Rose Harvey finished 46th and 78th, respectively, with times of 2:33:01 and 2:51:03.

Calli Hauger-Thackery, another British competitor, did not complete the race. Despite starting the marathon at 08:00, temperatures climbed to 24°C, causing many athletes to use ice packs and carry water bottles throughout the race to manage the heat. Sifan Hassan’s achievement further enhances her impressive Olympic record. She previously won gold in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters and bronze in the 1,500 meters at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.