By Amy Tennery and Helen Reid
PARIS (Reuters) – Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan sprinted through the finish of the marathon and straight into the pantheon of Olympic greats on Sunday, completing her astonishing Olympic agenda with a gold medal after taking bronze in both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres.
A hundred years on from Paavo Nurmi’s five golds in Paris, the 2024 Games got the athletics hero they had been waiting for in Hassan, who became the first since Czech Emil Zatopek in 1952 to medal in those three events.
“Every moment in the race I was regretting that I ran the 5000m and 10,000m. I was telling myself if I hadn’t done that, I would feel great today,” she said.
“From the beginning to the end, it was so hard. Every step of the way. I was thinking, ‘Why did I do that? What is wrong with me?’ If I hadn’t done it, I would feel so comfortable here.”
Hassan stunned fans three years ago when she attempted a rare Olympic treble in the 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m – taking bronze in the shorter distance and winning the two longer races.
She earned headlines again this time around, signing up for those three events as well as the marathon for Paris.
Throngs of reporters tuned in to hear her announce which she would actually run, with few predicting she would really try the gruelling distance road run on top of the two longer track events.
“For anyone else this would be insane,” retired sprint legend Michael Johnson declared. But not for Hassan, who has built a reputation as one of her sport’s toughest fighters.
And 36 hours after the 10,000m wrapped up across town at the Stade de France, Hassan was on the starting line, becoming the first woman to attempt all three – and admitted she was scared to try it.
She battled with Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia and managed to shake her off in the last stretch, crossing the finish line in an Olympic record time of two hours, 22 minutes and 55 seconds.
All told, the two-time marathon major winner raced a total of 62.2 kilometres (38.65 miles) in Paris.
“When I finished, the whole moment was a release. It is unbelievable. I have never experienced anything like that. Even the other marathons I have run were not close to this,” she told reporters.
“I couldn’t stop celebrating. I was feeling dizzy. I wanted to lie down. Then I thought, ‘I am the Olympic champion. How is this possible?’.”
Hassan’s outstanding grit has won over not only fans, but her rivals, too.
“She’s just awesome. Who can do that? Who can come from track and win the marathon?,” said Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi, who finished fourth.
“I feel like I just want to be her.”
(Reporting by Amy Tennery and Helen Reid in Paris)
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