Paris 2024: Sifan Hassan bags a marathon gold in a triumph for Africa

Sifan Hassan ended an ambitious and exhausting Paris Olympic Games in triumph when she broke the tape to win the women’s marathon at the Esplanade Invalides.

by Stephen Granger, bird story agency

As in the previous Games, Sifan Hassan took on three events at the Paris Olympics but this time one of those was the marathon. After winning bronze in the 5000m, she clinched her second bronze in the 10,000m just 35 hours before the start of the marathon, before signing off in golden style by winning the marathon in an Olympic Record time of 2 hr 22 min 55 sec.

Hassan’s win was not without controversy and the Dutch athlete had a nervous wait following an appeal lodged by the Ethiopian Federation on behalf of world record-holder, Tigist Assefa, following a clash of bodies against a guard rail 300m from the finish.

The intensity of competition at the Olympics between the world’s finest athletes has been celebrated by hundreds of thousands in Paris and billions world-wide, but the razor-thin margins between the top performers inevitably lead to clashes in the heat of the battle, as the protagonists jostle for optimal position in high stakes contests.

Hassen and Assefa had broken clear of Kenyan Helen Obiri in the final kilometre. Matching strides as they turned into the finishing precinct, a clash may not have been inevitable, but it was not surprising.

Hassan tried to overtake Assefa on the inside of the final bend and when the Ethiopian straightened her line, Hassan was forced against the railing. Hassan appeared to push back at Assefa, forcing a gap and accelerating away to take the tape ahead of Assefa, who finished just three seconds back. Obiri took the bronze in 2:23:10.

“Sifan is a great athlete, and I’m pleased for her that she won the gold medal today,” Assefa responded during the post-race media conference. Clearly, though, her heart wasn’t in it and when asked if the clash (which inhibited her final sprint) had cost her the gold medal, she simply replied “yes it did.”

Hassan opted not to attend the conference, but André Cats, head of Elite Sports Netherlands, commented that ‘We are very proud of Sifan Hassan’s achievement in the women’s marathon; we understand that there was a formal protest that was evaluated by the jury and we respect the jury’s decision on this matter.’

Eighty athletes completed the marathon, with eleven from those who started at the City Hall failing to cross the finish line.

Notably, Yuka Suzuki, fast-rising 24-year-old Japanese marathoner, was the only top ten finisher not born in Africa. ‘Adopted’ athletes by the Netherlands, Israel, Romania and Bahrain joined two Ethiopians, two Kenyans and one from Uganda in that impressive list.

As was the case in the men’s race yesterday, the hills played a significant role in the race, with the long 7 km ascent from Pont Sevres bridge over the Seine at 14 km splitting up the large lead pack, leaving just ten together as the runners passed the gate to the Palace of Versailles near the summit.

25-year-old French athlete, Melody Julien, had sacrificed a year of her future teaching career to train full-time for today’s race and she was determined to take full advantage of the occasion.

Taking the race to the world’s elite, she surged to the front of the field to lead the Olympic Marathon for several kilometres until the 2:25:01 marathoner’s wheels inevitably wobbled, if not falling off completely.

Julien fell behind before the top of the hill at halfway, eventually finished 74th in 2:42:32.

Moroccan-born Spaniard Majida Maayouf held on to the leaders somewhat longer, having earned her stripes by running a Spanish record of 2:21:27 at Valencia last December, a year after establishing the Moroccan best ever, 26 sec faster.

Maayouf appeared comfortable through 25km, before the sharp second hill at 28km saw her slip back, eventually to finish 17th .

Approaching halfway near the first summit, Hassan, Tigist, Obiri, Kenya’s late replacement Sharon Lokedi and current world champion,Ethiopian Amane Beriso, formed a formidable phalanx at the head of the race with Kenya-born Lorna Saltpeter of Israel, Romania’s Delvine Meringor, also Kenyan-born, and Suzuki keeping in touch with the leaders.

Running in her first race for Romania since her eligibility was approved last month, Meringor kept within striking distance until the final Kilometres.

But there was no disputing the cream which had risen to the top and each one of the tight-knit quintet, still together 7km from the finish, had a realistic shot at the title.

Lokedi came in for injured teammate, Brigid Kosgei, at late notice and the winner of 2022 NY City Marathon in her debut matched her more favoured rivals until she was first to drop behind, shortly before Beriso also yielded to the ever-increasing pace.

“I knew I could not let it go down to a sprint with Sifan,” related Obiri. “So I was surging and accelerating the pace in an effort to get away, but I just could not shake Sifan and Tigist.”

Tipped by many for the title, Obiri had given her all, but was found wanting in the final kilometre as Assefa surged into the lead, to set up the dramatic finale and a gold medal for the Netherlands.

Cian Oldknow proved she is one for the future. The youngest in the South African marathon team, Oldknow’s enforced reduced training block prior to Paris, due to injury, hit her hard five km from the finish. Oldknow had been moving through the field steadily and running in 24th position with leading American, Emily Sissons, when she suffered a sudden onset of fatigue as her ‘tank ran empty’.

Nonetheless, she held on to finish in a creditable 32nd position in 2:30:29, so lead her team home.

“I knew if she could have got in another 2 weeks she would have been okay,” said her coach George Bradley. “But no complaints. When we saw her at 40km she was completely exhausted and really fighting. She’s very tough mentally and left everything on the course. She will always deliver for South Africa.”

Irvette van Zyl was over the moon over finally finishing an Olympic Marathon. She dealt well with the hills, but the challenging descents negated the advantage she gained on the climbs. She finished 37th in 2:31:14.

Some had predicated that Gerda Steyn’s record-breaking Comrades Marathon just two months previously would impact her negatively, but Steyn was emphatic that this was not so. “My training had told me I was hitting my targets and I felt good in the build-up,” Steyn said.

“But I just felt strangely flat at the start and was never able to run through it and take advantage of those great hills. Perhaps it was a bug or virus of some sort – I really don’t know. But I really enjoyed the experience of being able to represent South Africa in Paris.

“I only plan one year ahead, so I can’t predict about 2028, but if given the huge enjoyment of being here, if I’m still competing and my preparation has gone well I’m sure I’d love to be in Los Angeles!”

bird story agency