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Sifan Hassan was the favorite to win a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Becoming the first athlete, male or female, to finish atop the podium in both the 1500 and 10000m races at the 2019 World Championships, Hassan was set for a roller-coaster 2020.
However, the Covid-19 pandemic derailed everything. The Olympics got postponed by a year and many believed it would put a big jolt on the hopes of in-form athletes like Sifan Hassan. But Hassan took the delay in a positive stride and brought the world to her feet once again this Sunday.
Competing at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in her hometown of Hengelo, Sifan Hassan finished the race in 29:06.82 minutes, creating a world record. The previous world record was held by Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana, who set it at 29:17.45 in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
In typical fashion, Hassan began the race behind the pacemakers. But as the competition progressed, she went ahead of the pack and zoomed past the halfway mark in 14:38.75 minutes. Saving her energy for the last few laps, Hassan accelerated and finished the second part of her race in a quicker time to set a world record.
What makes it even more impressive is the fact that this was only Hassan's fourth competitive 10000m race. With time, Hassan will surely improve and set even higher standards in the event.
Can Sifan Hassan repeat the 1500m and 10000m double at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics?
A double at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics will surely prove that her feat at the 2019 World Athletics Championships wasn't a shot in the pan. However, repeating it isn't as easy as it sounds as the athletics schedule doesn't favor her.
There was a gap of four days between the women's 10000m finals and the heats of the women's 1500m in 2019. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, however, the women's 1500m round 1 will begin on August 2nd. The semi-finals and finals of the aforementioned event will take place on August 4th and 6th respectively. Meanwhile, the finals of the women's 10000m event takes place the next day (August 7).
Given the short duration between the women's 1500m and 10000m finals, a gold medal at both events seems highly improbable. Even if Sifan Hassan sets her sights on both of them, her opponents will make it extremely difficult for her.
The likes of Elinor Purrier (USA) and Linden Hall (Australia) have run sub-four minute races this year in the women's 1500m event and will pose tough competition to Hassan.
In the women's 10000m event, Hassan will have her task cut out by Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay and Bahrain's Kalkidan Gezahegne, who have both completed the 10000m race within 30 minutes.
Sifan Hassan finished 5th in the women's 1500m race in her first Olympics in Rio five years earlier. She didn't even compete at the 10000m event.
Cycling and swimming have been healthy medal providers for the Netherlands in the Olympics since the inception of the Games. Sifan Hassan will harbor hopes for her country in athletics when she takes the field in Tokyo.
