Tag: Sifan Hassan

Sifan Hassan cruises to 5000m Olympic Gold

Posted on by <a href="https://www.sportsnews.africa/byline/meshack-keicha-boxscore/" rel="tag">MESHACK KEICHA - BOXSCORE</a>

BOXSCORE: TOKYO (August 2, 2021) Dutch superstar Sifan Hassan got the better of her arch-rival Hellen Obiri winning her first Olympic medal in the 5000m race at the Tokyo Olympics, Monday.

The race was perfectly poised between the two top female long-distance athletes currently in the world with the big question – who will it be – Hassan or Obiri?

It is now clear: Hassan Gold and Obiri Silver.

During the race, Hassan took advantage of the slower pace preserving energy for her trademark homestretch sprint. As for Obiri, she stayed ahead of Hassan from the start as the Dutch athlete ran from behind before busting up after the bell to sprint past the Kenyan claiming her first Olympic gold medal.

The 31-year- old Kenyan settling again for silver, just as in Rio 2016, where she brought home silver in the 5000M and 1000M races.

This is the first medal for the highly decorated Ethiopian-born Dutch athlete Siffan Hassan who has been on the top of her game in the past few years winning numerous contests culminating today with the biggest win of them all, an Olympic gold medal.

Her success will surely not end here as she is still in contention for medals in the 1500M and the 10000M where she will again do battle against Obiri.

Today’s victory gives Hassan a chance of making history as the first woman to win the treble in a single Olympic game if she is successful in the 1500m and 10000m. By the looks of things, Hassan will surely be the woman to beat in both races as her finishing sprint today indicates it will be difficult for the others to keep up with her late pace.

For Obiri, the 10,000m final may be her best chance to pull a gold as a high tempo may weaken Hassan’s final lap kick.

The world now waits as Hassan and Obiri will take their rivalry to the 10,000M coming up this Sunday.

Tokyo Olympic Preview: Hassan vs Obiri in 5,000m & 10,000m

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Boxscore: NAIROBI, Kenya – July 11, 2021 – Some of the big races on the track in the Tokyo Olympics will obviously be the women’s 5,000m and 10,000m involving two of the greatest rivals in the women’s long-distance races – Ethiopian-born Dutch superstar athlete Sifan Hassan and Kenya’s long-distance queen Hellen Obiri.

The rivalry between these two ladies has produced classic races in the women’s long-distance events in recent years leaving athletics pundits with tough questions on who is greater than the other?

The Tokyo Olympics will surely answer this question of who is the ultimate champion of the women’s long-distance races as both women prepare to take on each other this July.

In the head-to-head record, Hassan has the better of the Kenyan leading 14-10 but Obiri has won five times out of their six meetings in the 5,000m.

Hassan and Obiri will be running in both the 5,000m and 10,000m, but Hassan will be going for the treble as she will be also be involved in the 1,500m.

Sifan Hassan. PHOTO: WORLD ATHLETICS VIA GETTY

Hellen Obiri, 31,  is currently the world 5000m champion, a title he won in London back in 2017 and went ahead to defend it in Doha 2019.

In the 2016 Rio Olympics, she came second behind fellow Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot who grabbed gold while Obiri went home with Silver.

Among many other medals that she has won is the 2019 world cross country championships senior race gold in Aarhus.

She has also been in good form in the recent past by winning multiple IAAF Diamond league races ahead of the Olympics.

Obiri’s strength lies on her pace and endurance.

Sifan Hassan is three years younger than Obiri at 28 years. She was born in Ethiopia before acquiring Netherlands citizenship.

Just like Obiri, the Tokyo Olympics will be her second Olympics outing, having participated in the Rio Olympics in both 1500M where she came 5th and 800M finishing 28th.

Hassan is a true champion and it will take much more from her competitors to stop her march to victory in Tokyo especially in the 10000M. She will simply be the woman to beat in the middle and long-distance races.

She won the world championships gold in the 1500M in Doha 2019 and 10000M gold in the same championships the same year.

She scooped another gold in at the world indoor championships in Portland in 2016 and silver in Birmingham the 3000M back in 2018.

If that’s not enough, Hassan holds the world record over a mile that she won in Monaco which stands at 4:12:33.

Hassan depends more on her finishing kick. Her competitors have found it very difficult to catch up with her at the home stretch when she is at full speed.

However, in Tokyo it will not be easy for her as her greatest rival Obiri is also equal to the task.

In all these races that the two great ladies will face each other in Tokyo the world will be assured of a nail-biting race.

Sifan Hassan gives Ethiopian and Kenyan athletes butterflies ahead of the Olympics

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Boxscore: NAIROBI, Kenya – June 14, 2021 – Ethiopian-born Dutch middle and long distance runner Sifan Hassan will be the woman to beat in 1500m and 10000m races next month’s Tokyo Olympics.

The 28-year-old athlete has been so dominant in the 1500m, 5000, and 10000m giving the East African women athletes stomach butterflies ahead of the much awaited games.

Kenya and Ethiopia women athletes have been doing very well in the middle and long distance events in past Olympics as they have won the lion share of the medals, however since the arrival of Hassan on the world stage, things have not been the same.

Hassan is the biggest threat to the two East African athletics powerhouse nations in their quest for Olympic medals in Tokyo.

Many athletics analysts will keep Hassan in the pole position to win gold in these events not only because of what she has managed to achieve in the past few years but also because of her finishing kick.

Hassan’s strongest point is in her final sprint especially in the 5000m and 10000m. Her major competitors have always found it difficult to keep up with her pace.

Kenyas Hellen Obiri seems to be the only major threat to Hassan’s road to Olympic glory. Obiri, like Hassan, has been at her best form in the past few years.

The rivalry between the two promises to be a highlight of the Games akin to that 10000m Olympic classic between Ethopia’s legendary Heile Gebrselassie and Kenya’s Poul Tergat in Sydney back in 2000.

Hassan’s major achievements include her history making win of two gold medals in the world athletics championship back in 2019; becoming the first woman in history to win gold in both 1500m and 10000m at a single world championship or at the Olympics.

In addition, Hassan has collected over 15 medals in global and continental events in her illustrious career so far including nine gold medals, and three silver medals.

The Dutch athletics superstar has never won an Olympic medal but many feel that Tokyo will be her year

Farah, Hassan break one-hour run world records

Posted on by <a href="https://www.sportsnews.africa/byline/xinhua/" rel="tag">XINHUA</a>

BRUSSELS, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) — Multiple world and Olympic champion Mo Farah of Britain and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands respectively broke the men’s and women’s one-hour run world record at the Diamond League exhibition meeting here Friday night.

37-year-old Farah and his training partner and local athlete Bashir Abdi of Belgium both beat the previous world record of 21,285 meters set by Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie back in 2007.Farah held off Abdi to set a new mark of 21,330m while the Belgian trailed eight meters behind.

The women’s one-hour race saw a close battle between Hassan and Kenya’s world marathon record-holder Brigid Kosgei.

The duo stayed well ahead of the world record pace as they exchanged the lead several times but neither managed to break clear.

The Dutch world 1,500m and 10,000m champion moved ahead once more in the final minute and successfully maintained the lead until the hour elapsed to reach 18,930 meters, smashing the previous mark of 18,517 meters set by Ethiopia’s Dire Tune in 2008.

Kosgei was later disqualified for stepping onto the infield in the closing stages.Sweden’s star pole vaulter Armand Duplantis once again failed to beat Ukrainian legend Sergei Bubka’s 26-year-old best outdoor mark of 6.14 meters, as the 20-year-old failed all his three attempts at 6.15m after clearing 6.00m.

World marathon record holder Kosgei to take on Hassan in Brussels

Posted on by <a href="https://www.sportsnews.africa/byline/xinhua/" rel="tag">XINHUA</a>

NAIROBI, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) — Kenyan world marathon record-holder Brigid Kosgei is set for her track debut as she takes on Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan in an hour event at the AG Memorial Van Damme Diamond League meeting on Sept. 4.

The 26-year-old Kosgei, who ran incredible 2:14:04 on her way to breaking the marathon record in Chicago last year, will use the event as part of her preparations for a London Marathon title defense on Oct. 4.

Prior to breaking Paula Radcliffe’s 17-year-old world record in Chicago, Kosgei, who trains in Kapsait under guidance of Eric Kimaiyo, had clocked 64:28 in the half-marathon to break the Great North Run course record, but her time was not considered a world record because the course was not certified by Word Athletics.

Both Kosgei and Hassan, the world 1,500m and 10,000m champion will attempt to break Dire Tune’s 2008 mark of 18.517km in Belgium’s capital.

“It’s a great opportunity for Brigit to run in Brussels, though she doesn’t have good track experience, I’m sure she will give a good account of herself against Hassan who has announced a world record attempt,” Kimaiyo, a 2:07:43 performer himself and runner-up at the 1997 Berlin Marathon, told Xinhua on Friday.

“She likes challenges and considering she is preparing for the London Marathon in October, the event gives her a chance to gauge her preparedness,” Kimaiyo added.

Semenya to take on Obiri, other veterans in Diamond League 3000m debut

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A defiant Caster Semenya will take on Kenyan Hellen Obiri at the Diamond League Prefontaine Classic on 30 June even as she climbed up the distance to avoid taking drugs to lower her testosterone hormone.

The South African and double Olympics 800m champions has been a hot topic of discussion in the athletics circles in the recent past after the IAAF ruled that female Athletes with elevated testosterone hormone cannot compete in a distance lower than 1400m unless they take drugs to suppress the excessive hormones.

According to the BBC, Semenya, who has insisted that she will not take drugs, through her agent, has contacted Prefontaine Classic director Tom Jordan if she could race in the 3,000m.

“We were happy to oblige. No downside whatsoever,” Korean told BBC.

In the distance, Semenya, 28, can compete without having to lower her testosterone levels.

But here her debut in long distance races will see her race against a strong field of Athletes including world 5,000m champion Hellen Obiri, 2016 world indoor 1500m champion Sifan Hassan, and 2018 world indoor 1500m and 3,000m champion Genzebe Dibaba from Ethiopia,

Locally, Maximilla Imali who is also facing a similar case will compete in the 100m and 200m in addition to the 400m (in Eldoret) against the IAAF rule that came into effect on May 8.

Margaret Nyairera is another Kenyan athlete whose career is on the line unless she complies with the new regulation.

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