Hassan comes in first place in 5,000m race; Fifth gold medal for the Netherlands

Sifan Hassan won gold for the Netherlands on Monday in the five-thousand-meter run in the Tokyo Olympic Games. Hassan finished first with a time of 14.35,79. It was the fifth gold medal for the Netherlands in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games and the first Olympic gold in athletics for Team Orange in 29 years.

The 28-year-old paced herself throughout the race. Staying in tenth place for a long time before slowly advancing to the top positions, NOS reported. Hassan overtook her opponents in the last run with an amazing sprint. Second place went to the Kenyan Hellen Obiri and Bronze to Ethiopian runner Gudaf Tsegay.

“How is this possible? I am an Olympic champion!”, she exclaimed after the race.  

Her goal is to win a gold medal in the 1,500, 5000, and 10,000-meter races. She qualified for the 1,500-meter race this morning despite a stumble in the last lap. The race will be held on Wednesday.

“After the drama from this morning, I did not expect it. I’m surprised, I ran the sprint of my life”, Hassan said, according to NOS.

Hassan came to the Netherlands eight years ago from Ethiopia. She participated in the Olympics Games in Rio in 2016, ending up in fifth place in the 5,000-meter run. She won the world title in 2019in the 10,000-meter race in Doha, as well as taking home the bronze in World Cup in London in 2017.

The Netherlands now has a total of 18 medals: five gold, seven silver and six bronze.