Tokyo Olympics: Sifan Hassan is crowned the new 5000m champion

Tokyo Olympics: Sifan Hassan is crowned the new 5000m champion

Sifan Hassan

Dutch middle distance runner Sifan Hassan scorched through the rain-drenched track at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics as she was crowned the new women’s 5000m Olympic champion on Monday. The star clocked a stunning 14:36.79 minutes in the finals.

Rio silver medallist, Hellen Obiri of Kenya maintained her medal colour with a 14:38.36 minute run and Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia bagged the bronze with a timing of 14:38.87 minutes. Hellen Obiri and Ethiopian Teferi Senbere were considered to be favourites going into the final however Hassan surprised everyone with her determined victory.

Tokyo Olympics: Sifan Hassan sets the rain drenched track on fire

Sifan Hassan
Sifan Hassan

Sifan Hassan of Netherlands is the reigning world champion in the 10,000m and 1500m distances. She achieved this historic feat at the 2019 Doha World Championships. That however was just a glimpse of what this Dutch star could do.

Earlier in the day 4 of athletics at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics in the 1,500m heats, Hassan had a fall after getting in a tangle with a fellow runner at the start of the last lap. But she produced an awe-striking recovery by not just getting up but also winning her heat.

And later on in the 5000m finals, she shone through like a star.

Now her eyes will be set on the other events of a rare distance-running treble including 1500m and 10,000m.

Also Read: Tokyo Olympics Athletics: Jasmine Camacho-Quinn bags gold in women’s 100m hurdles with a spectacular run as Kendra Harrison settles for silver