Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands has won gold in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics, setting an Olympic record of 2 hours, 22 minutes and 55 seconds.
The Ethiopian-born athlete edged out Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia in a dramatic finish, with Kenya’s Hellen Obiri taking bronze.
Hassan, 31, adds this victory to her bronze medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m earlier in the Games. She now holds six Olympic medals in total, including two golds from Tokyo 2020.
The race, traditionally held earlier in the Games, took place on the final day of competition.
Hassan employed her trademark tactic of staying with the leading pack before unleashing a powerful late surge. The final moments saw her trade elbows with Assefa as they vied for position along the barriers.
The marathon route, which started at the Hôtel de Ville, took in iconic Parisian landmarks including the Opéra Garnier, the Louvre, and the Palace of Versailles before finishing near the Invalides.
Defending champion Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya finished 15th.
The hilly course, with inclines of up to 13%, proved challenging for the runners. Japan’s Yuka Suzuki, who finished sixth, nearly fell on a particularly steep descent.
This year marked the 40th anniversary of women competing in the Olympic marathon, which was first introduced at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
The route held historical significance, partially tracing the path of the Women’s March on Versailles during the French Revolution in 1789.
Hassan’s victory caps off a remarkable Games for the Dutch athlete, who ran more than 62km across her three events.
