New record: Sifan Hassan wins gold in the marathon, NL seventh in Olympic rankings

Sifan Hassan has crowned her historic Olympic mission with a sensational gold medal in the marathon. Two days after winning the bronze medal in the 10,000 meters, the 31-year-old Dutch athlete achieved the almost impossible by winning the tough race over 42.195 kilometers through Paris. She won a nerve-wracking final sprint from Ethiopian world record holder Tigst Assefa and was cheered on by thousands of spectators on the way to the finish on the Esplanade des Invalides.

Hassan can now call herself the first woman to complete the 5000 meters, the 10,000 meters, and the marathon at a single Olympic Games. She gave this task, which was considered physically almost impossible in advance, extra shine with three medals: bronze in the 5000, bronze in the 10,000, and gold in the marathon.

Hassan did not lead a single meter in the race. She followed the pace of her Kenyan and Ethiopian competitors. Sometimes, she let a gap fall, but then the Ethiopian-born came back to the front at her own pace. On the steep climb after 28 kilometers, Assefa and her compatriot Amane Beriso Shankule pulled through. Hassan gritted her teeth, clawed her way up, and managed to return to the thinned-out leading group just before the top.

Spectacular final sprint

With nine women in front, they entered the last flat 10 kilometers. Hassan still looked fresh and stayed in the wake of Assefa and Shankule, who were unable to overtake her. After 40 kilometers, the Dutch top athlete was still running at the front and was preparing for a final sprint. It was a nerve-wracking duel with Assefa, in which she almost ran into the fences, but she persevered and sprinted to victory in an Olympic record of 2:22.55. Assefa ended up with silver in 2:22.58, and Kenyan Hellen Obiri won bronze in 2:23.10.

Anne Luijten, the second Dutch woman in the field, finished 50th in 2:33.42.

The Netherlands enters the final day of the Olympic Games in seventh place in the medal table. After Sifan Hassan won a gold medal in the marathon, the women's 4x400-meter relay team took gold, and synchronized swimmers Noortje and Bregje de Brouwer won a historic bronze, TeamNL has a total of 33 medals, 14 of which are gold. After Sifan Hassan won a gold medal in marathon, the women's 4x400 meter relay took gold and the synchronized swimmers Noortje and Bregje de Brouwer won historic bronze, TeamNL has a total of 33 medals, 14 of those are gold medals.

China leads the rankings with 39 golds, just ahead of the United States with 38. Australia, Japan, France, and Great Britain follow at a considerable distance.