Sifan Hassan ran an ideal race on Saturday in the 10,000 meters at the World Championship in Eugene, until the last 200 meters. The 29-year-old Dutchman made a mistake, so it was not a medal, but a fourth place.
“I walked stupidly on the last part,” said Hassan, who had to leave the world title to Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey after the World Cup gold in 2019 and the Olympic gold in 2021. The Kenyan women Hellen Obiri (silver) and Margaret Kipkemboi (bronze) were also slightly faster than the defending champion in the final sprint.
Hassan started the sprint early, because she was overconfident by the last 5 kilometers. “After a bad start I felt myself getting better with each lap. I started to breathe better and was able to save my strength among other runners.”
“I ran smart, but I made a mistake in the last 200 meters. I should have waited until the last 100 meters, but in the corner I was already accelerating in lane three. That took a lot of energy and that broke me. I took it totally wrong.”
10,000 meters World Championships Athletics
- 1. Letesenbet Gidey (Ethiopia) – 30.09.94
- 2. Hellen Obiri (Kenya) – 30.10.02
- 3. Margaret Kipkemboi (Kenya) – 30.10.07
- 4. Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) – 30.10.56
- 5. Rahel Daniel (Eritrea) – 30.12.15
The finish of the 10,000 meters.
The finish of the 10,000 meters. Photo: Getty Images
‘I can’t rest and take gold’
Of course Hassan was disappointed by her mistake and missing out on a medal, but she was able to quickly give it a place – unlike in previous tournaments. The two-time world champion tempered all optimism in the run-up to the World Cup because she had trained less hard than in previous years. Hassan chose rest and vacation.
“I can’t do two things at the same time. No, I can’t rest and take gold. That would be magic. Anyway, that was my decision and so I have to and can accept this. Given my preparation, this was already a fantastic race .”
“I thought: wow, I can keep up with women who have trained for a whole year. It went too well, so I still made a mistake. Last year I could have sprinted to a win from the corner, but not now. I didn’t train hard enough for it.”
Hassan gets a chance at this World Cup to take revenge for fourth place. She is still in action in the 5,000 meters, the distance at which she is also the reigning Olympic champion. Hassan will run in the series on Wednesday and the final will take place in the night from Saturday to Sunday (Dutch time).
The podium of the 10,000 meters.
The podium of the 10,000 meters. Photo: Getty Images