Dutch Runner, Sifan Hassan Wins 5,000m Race At Tokyo Olympics Amid Bid To Claim Historic Gold Medal Treble (Videos)

By Edna Wande On Aug 2, 2021

Dutch long-distance runner, Sifan Hassan is on her way towards achieving her dream of winning an historic and unprecedented Olympic treble after a brilliant finish to win 5000m gold at Tokyo 2020 on Monday, August 1.

During the race, the 28-year-old Dutch athlete executed a clever race strategy to sit back early on and gradually move up as the race developed, helping her claim her first Olympic title in 14:36.79.

The rain-soaked Olympic Stadium track saw Kenya’s Hellen Obiri (14:38.36) take silver and Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay (14:38.87) in bronze.

Hassan is trying to secure 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m gold, which has never been achieved at the Games before.

Her bid for a distance treble at the Olympics was nearly derailed earlier on Monday when the world champion tripped over another runner and fell at the final lap of her 1,500-meter heat. Amazingly, she ended up winning the race.

Sifan Hassan in orange shirt on the floor with fellow athlete behind her.

During the race, Hassan tried, but failed, to hurdle over Kenya’s Edinah Jebitok, who tumbled just in front of her as runners jostled for position at the start of the final lap.

As a result, Hassan also went crashing down but rolled, quickly got back to her feet and made effort in chasing down other athletes ahead of her.

Charging up herself, the Dutch runner impressively sped past a couple of runners, reached the leading pack of 6 by the last bend, and took over lead from Australia’s Jessica Hull and America’s Elinor Purrier St. Pierre.

With that, Hassan finished in 4 minutes, 5.17 seconds to qualify for the semifinals, despite nearly paying dearly for deciding to run at the back of the field in the early stages of the race and wait for the bell to make her move.

She was third-from-last at the start of the final lap and just before she fell. Her recovery kept alive her bid for the treble in Tokyo.

With her latest victory, Hassan, who was born in Ethiopia but moved to the Netherlands as a refugee, is expected to battle with two-time world champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya for the 5,000 gold, while there are three Ethiopians also challenging for a medal.

Hassan won a 1,500-10,000-meter double at the world championships in Doha, Qatar in 2019. She now plans to also run in the 10,000 meters at the Olympics. No athlete has won 1,500-, 5,000- and 10,000-meter golds at the same Olympics.

The long-distance runner’s treble bid means she will have to run at least 6 races in 9 days and cover 24,500m, well over a half marathon, in the Tokyo heat and humidity.

Watch some videos of when Hassan fell below:

In life, fall and recover like Sifan Hassan 😍🙏🏾💪🏿
pic.twitter.com/JLpVinFIdJ

— Kiza Magendane (@kizamag) August 2, 2021

“One of the most remarkable same-day performances in Olympic history in women’s distance running”

Sifan Hassan fell in her 1500m heat, fought back to win the heat, and then won gold in the 5000m—all in the same day pic.twitter.com/UQufTmAQ1c

— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) August 2, 2021

Never give up!

Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands tripped with one lap to go in a preliminary heat of the women’s 1500m but got back up to continue the race.

She ended up winning her heat to advance. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/gU536XvyHg

— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 2, 2021