PARIS — Sifan Hassan overtook Tigst Assefa with 150 meters to go in the women’s marathon, claiming victory and her third distance medal at the Paris Games on Sunday.
Hassan, an Ethiopian-born runner representing the Netherlands, finished in an Olympic record time of 2 hours, 22 minutes, 55 seconds. Assefa secured silver for Ethiopia, just three seconds behind, and Kenya’s Hellen Obiri took bronze.
Ethiopia filed a protest seeking Hassan’s disqualification for obstruction, but the Jury of Appeal rejected it. It appeared Assefa was hindering Hassan, who faced two instances of obstruction before their elbow exchange.
Hassan raised her hands and shouted as she crossed the finish line, then draped the Dutch flag over her head in celebration. Sporting an orange bucket hat, she embraced Nepal’s Shantoshi Shrestha, whose smile mirrored the bright sunshine above.
Overwhelmed by the magnitude of her victory, Hassan buried her head in her hands and seemed to weep with joy.
The 31-year-old Hassan had also earned bronze in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. By completing the marathon, she surpassed 62 kilometers, bringing her Olympic medal tally to six. In Tokyo, Hassan triumphed in the 5,000 and 10,000, finishing third in the 1,500.
Breaking with tradition, the women’s Olympic marathon was held on the final day instead of the men’s race.
Hassan employed the same strategy on the hilly, 26.2-mile course that she utilizes on the oval. She stayed behind the leaders for most of the race before unleashing a late-race surge that will be remembered as one of the best the sport has ever seen.
This final stretch resembled a crowded race on the oval. As Hassan prepared for her final pass, Assefa attempted to block her path. Hassan moved to the inside around a bend.
Assefa tried to squeeze Hassan against the barrier separating the course from the cheering spectators. The runners exchanged elbows, then Hassan surged past Assefa and sprinted to victory.
She’s accustomed to winning the hard way, after all.
Her legendary status began three years ago at the Tokyo Games when she was tripped during a heat of the 1,500 but quickly got back on her feet to win the race. She went on to claim bronze.
She wasn’t as dominant over the past two years, partly because she was conserving her energy for this feat: covering a total of 38.5 miles over 10 days with Olympic medals at stake.
Hassan competed in the 5,000 meters last Monday and the 10,000 meters on Friday, giving her approximately 35 hours to recover for the marathon.
She entered the Games aiming to match Emil Zatopek’s achievement from 1952, when the Czech runner swept the 5,000, 10,000, and marathon at the Helsinki Games.
She fell short of that accomplishment but departs with a gleaming gold medal.
Sharon Lokedi of Kenya finished fourth, and defending champion Peres Jepchirchir, her compatriot, placed 15th.
After 21 miles (almost 34 kilometers), Jepchirchir started to fall back. That’s when Hassan and Obiri — a two-time Olympic silver medalist in the 5,000 meters — joined Amane Beriso Shankule and Lokedi at the front.
Shankule dropped off the pace near the end, leaving a four-way race for gold, which became three when Lokedi fell back on the approach to the finish opposite the gold-domed Invalides monument, site of French emperor Napoleon’s tomb.
Women have competed in the discipline since the 1984 Los Angeles Games — which was 88 years after Greek runner Spiridon Louis won the inaugural men’s race.
The marathon route also holds significance, tracing the footsteps of a historical march that occurred during the French Revolution.
The Women’s March on Versailles in 1789 was organized by women in the marketplace of Paris as they protested the high price of bread, leading them on a trek from Paris to Versailles.
Starting from Hôtel de Ville (City Hall), the route passed through parks and forests along the way. Despite its scenic aspect, the somewhat hilly route was considered extremely difficult with inclines as steep as 13%.
Under clear blue skies, runners passed landmarks such as Opéra Garnier and the Louvre museum. Around the halfway mark, they ran near the regal grounds of the Palace of Versailles — once home to French royalty — before turning back through Meudon forest toward Paris and past the Eiffel Tower.
After about 18 miles (29 kilometers) the runners tackled a steep hill, and the downhill was equally challenging. They held their arms up for balance to avoid falling forward. Japan’s Yuka Suzuki almost tumbled into a runner directly in front of her.
Suzuki finished sixth behind Shankule.
