Sifan Hassan put on an electric performance on the final day of the Paris Olympics with a late kick to win the women’s marathon in 2:22:55.
The stunning win on Sunday morning saw Hassan battle with the lead pack of runners as the group of five began to make a decisive move around the 38km mark.
She was joined down the stretch by Kenyans Sharon Lokedi, Peres Jepchirchir and Hellen Obiri, along with Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa.
But with 200 meters remaining, Hassan and Assefa made contact on a tight curve as Hassan appeared to bump into a barrier. Assefa pushed Hassan, with the race seemingly up for grabs.
The 31-year-old Hassan sprinted to the finish, setting an Olympic record and capping an impressive stretch of competition in her third event in Paris.
“What just happened!?! I became Olympic Champion in the marathon,” she posted on social media. “I completed my mission with 3 medals, 2 bronze and gold on my favorite distance. I am speechless. Thank you for all the support alongside the road, thank you for the team around me.”
She won the 5,000m and 10,000m bronze medals earlier in the week, sticking to her commitment to run three events.
Sunday morning she lined up for the marathon nearly 27 hours after her bronze win in the 10,000m and is the only track and field athlete to win three medals at the Paris Games.
Czech runner Emil Zátopek won all three gold in in Helsinki in 1952, taking on the same events Hassan pulled off in Paris.
Meanwhile Assefa chased Hassan and settled for the silver in 2:22:58, while Hellen Obiri took the bronze in 2:23:10.
But one of the final headlines heading out of the last day of competition will the fierce battle on the streets of Paris in the late stages of the race.
The women’s marathon broke from usual tradition and was held after Saturday’s men’s race and proved to be the more captivating of the two events.
With the gold secured, Hassan 38 total miles during the Olympics is not only astounding, but is far more than any other track and field athlete during the Games.
Hassan has collected an impressive six medals in just two Olympic games. At the Tokyo Games in 2021 she took on three events and won two golds — in the 5,000m and 10,000m — and finished third in the 1,500m.
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