Who is Sifan Hassan? Completes Historic Olympic Performance with Marathon Gold, Sets New Record

Sifan Hassan was born in January 1993 and is an Ethiopian-Dutch middle-distance runner. She is known for her strong adaptability and has achieved outstanding results in various long-distance running events.

Early life and career

Hassan was born in Adama, Oromia, Ethiopia, and grew up in the rural village of Kelsa. She started running at the age of 15 and fled Ethiopia as a refugee, arriving in the Netherlands in 2008. In 2013, she became a Dutch citizen while studying nursing.

Main achievements

Hassan’s career highlights include:

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she made history by winning gold medals in both the 5,000m and 10,000m events, and a bronze medal in the 1,500m, becoming the first athlete to win medals in both middle- and long-distance running events in the same Olympics.

2024 Paris Olympics: She won the women’s 5,000m bronze medal and the women’s marathon gold medal, becoming the only woman to win Olympic gold medals in the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon events.

World Championships: In 2019, she became the only athlete to win both the 1500m and 10,000m titles at the same World Championships. She has also won multiple medals at several World Indoor Championships and European Championships.

Marathon success: Hassan made her marathon debut in 2023, winning the London Marathon in 2:18:33, and then set a new event record at the Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:13:44, the second-fastest women’s marathon time ever.

Record

Since 2020, Hassan has broken several world records for the hour run, as well as several European records for distances from 1500 meters to the marathon. From 2019 to 2023, she was the world record holder for the mile in track and field.

Sifan Hassan is one of the most gifted middle-distance runners in history; her journey from refugee to Olympic champion highlights her talent and dedication to athletics.

Sifan Hassan wins Olympic marathon gold

Sifan Hassan had a fantastic week at the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning gold in the women’s marathon, setting a new Olympic record of 2:22:55. The Dutch runner had already won bronze medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m at the Olympics.

Hasan became only the second athlete in history to win medals in the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon at a single Summer Olympics, tying the record of Czech athlete Emil Zatopek in 1952. However, unlike Zatopek, who won gold medals in all three events, Hasan only won one gold medal and two bronze medals in Paris.

At the end of the race, Hassan beat Ethiopian athlete Tigist Asefa by just three seconds in the sprint stage. Kenyan athlete Helen Obiri won the bronze medal with a personal best of 2:23:10.

“I felt like I was in a dream,” Hassan said after the race. “At the end, I thought, ‘It’s just a 100-meter dash. Come on, Sifan. Do it again. Feel it like a 200-meter sprinter.'”

Sifan Hassan’s transformation from Olympic champion to refugee is a testament to her determination, willpower and unparalleled talent. Her legendary achievements in middle and long distance running have established her as one of the greatest runners of all time and an inspiration to new generations of athletes around the world.