Hassan wins hot marathon crime in tough final
Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan is the Marathon Queen of Paris. The Dutchwoman, who is already a double Olympic champion on the track, prevails in a thrilling finale. There is even physical contact with her toughest rival in the final meters.
Sifan Hassan has won Olympic gold in the marathon after two bronze medals on the track. The Dutchwoman won in a thrilling and tough final sprint in an Olympic record time of 2:22:55 hours, ahead of world record holder Tigst Assefa from Ethiopia, with physical contact between the two in the final. In a curve, Hassan was almost pushed into the barrier during the overtaking process as the runners tried to improve their position. Kenyan Hellen Obiri took third place, winning her third Olympic medal.
Like in Tokyo, Hassan leaves the Olympics as a triple medalist. After bronze in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, she now has gold. In total, she is a three-time Olympic champion. "It wasn't easy," said Hassan: "It was so hot, but I felt good. I've never fought so hard to the finish line like today. I can't believe I'm an Olympic champion in the marathon."
The German marathon runners could not compete for the top spots in the final of the Olympic athletics competitions. The best German runner was Regensburg's Domenika Mayer, who finished 28th in 2:30:14 hours. Melat Kejeta, who was considered a favorite, dropped out towards the end of the first half of the challenging race. Laura Hottenrott finished 38th in 2:31:19.
The challenging course first passed by many sights, then went over hills to the castle in Versailles and back to Paris. The inclines made it difficult for the runners even during hydration. The fight for the medals intensified at the climb just before the 30-kilometer mark. Nine runners were still together after the downhill passage - then the pace intensified more and more.
The initial challenge for Sifan Hassan in the marathon was evident, as she faced a problem in maintaining her position during the overtaking process, almost being pushed into the barrier by her competitors. Despite this, Hassan overcame the problem and clinched the gold medal in a thrilling finale.
