Sifan Hassan's dramatic win sets Olympic record in the Paris marathon
One of the final events during the Paris Olympics was the women's marathon, held on Sunday, 11 August. The magnificent Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands was the first to arrive at the finish line, setting an Olympic record. There was an unexpected elbow fight in the final stretch as Hassan couldn't pass her Ethiopian rival.
The two weeks of competitions during the Paris Olympics were historical. Several thousand athletes competed in over 300 events. It was a time of great emotions, competition, happiness, and tears.
One of the last events in Paris was the women's marathon, which took place in the city centre and covered a distance of 26 miles. Sifan Hassan, representing the Netherlands, won the gold medal. The winner clocked a time of 2:22:55, which is a new Olympic record.
Ethiopian representative Tygst Assefa won the silver medal with a time three seconds slower, while Kenyan Hellen Obiri took third place with a time 15 seconds slower than the gold medallist.
Just before the finish line, there was very unsportsmanlike behaviour. In the final stretch, the Ethiopian led, but the Dutchwoman found her last energy reserves and decided to overtake her rival.
Assefa tried to hinder the European and, unsportsmanlike, tried to push the gold medallist into the barriers, where people were standing. Hassan took advantage of a weaker moment from the Ethiopians and simply overtook her. In the end, she triumphed in the marathon.
It is worth mentioning that Sifan Hassan also won two bronze medals in Paris. She finished third in the 5000 and 10,000 metres. The 31-year-old defended the championships in both events that she won at the Tokyo Olympics, but this time in France, she conceded to her rivals.
