Athletics, Queen Hassan flies from the 800 to the marathon: ‘To discover the limit’

She is the most versatile runner in history. She is perhaps the best ever. Sifan Hassan, Dutch born in Ethiopia, where she lived the first half of her 30s, has a personal best of 1’56” in the 800m and 2h18′ in the marathon. In the same World Cup (Doha 2019) she won 1500 and 10,000. And in the same Olympics (Tokyo 2021) she 5000 and 10,000, in addition to the bronze in the 1500. In nine days. She is the world record holder in the mile and the hour (18,930 metres) and also a European record holder in the 1500, 3000, 5000, 10,000 and, on the road, in the 5, 15 and 20 km, as well as the half marathon. Her medals? Difficult to keep track of. The student of Tim Rowberry, former assistant of Alberto Salazar, coach disqualified for illicit practices with whom Sifan trained from 2016 to 2019, a woman of steel despite legs like toothpicks, six weeks after the world championship in Budapest – silver in the 5000m , bronze in the 1500 and a fall 30 meters from the finish line of the 10,000, when she was in the lead – today she faces a new challenge: the Chicago marathon. She comes to us from 2130 meters in Park City, Utah, where she has been working for the last month and from where, the day before, she indulged in a chat via Teams.

Sifan, in Chicago with what objectives?

“To understand, after the somewhat complicated albeit successful debut in London last April in 2h18′, how much I can really be worth over 42 kilometres”.

Aren’t six weeks a short time to recover from such an intense World Championship and for the track-road transition?

“I’m fine, I think I’m ready. I did a lot of kilometres, I pushed a lot, perhaps too much: in the last few days a certain physical and mental tiredness has emerged. Overtraining is dangerous.”

Are you chasing a specific time?

“No, but I’m curious. As a marathon runner I have to discover myself, I have a lot to learn: I’m at the beginning of a new career.”

Does that mean he’ll leave the track?

“I like challenges that many consider impossible. Anyone who switches to the street never comes back: I want to be an exception and try to do everything at the same time.”

How much will this race affect the decision about your commitment to the Paris Games?

“Not much: I will choose which races I will do at the Olympics only as I approach the event, as always based on my form”.

After London – with two stops due to quadriceps problems, a delay at the front of the race of 28″ at the 25th km and a near accident with a motorbike at the 40th – Rowberry said that in France he could try to emulate Emil Zatopek.. .

“They told me that in Helsinki 1952, unique in Olympic history, he won the 5000m, 10,000m and marathon, then I saw a documentary illustrating the feat. The champions of the past fascinate me. Like Roger Bannister, for example, first under 4 minutes in the mile. But I don’t set myself such prestigious goals: I would put too much pressure on myself.”

In Chicago he finds the Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich, first in the last two editions (2h14’18” in 2022, third all-time). And six other athletes with better personnel than her.

“The cast is phenomenal: we will start very strong. But I’m less nervous than before London.”

Did you expect your former compatriot Tigst Assefa to take the world record to 2h11’53”?

“What happened ten days ago in Berlin was incredible. I always thought that a woman, sooner or later, would run 2h12′, but not so soon.”

“It was the middle of the night here: my coach updated me at breakfast. I thought he was joking.”

Thirteen of the top 15 marathon runners of all time are active: why don’t you stay on the track?

“I said it: I love testing myself, going beyond the limits. And then I love long distances, even if my dream is a marathon on a cross-country course…”.