The Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan has confirmed her ambitions to fight for gold medals in Tokyo in the 1,500m, 5,000m, and 10,000m. The 28-year-old Sifan Hassan, a native of Ethiopia, won her 5,000m hurdles and qualified for the finals but said after the finals that participation in all three disciplines depended mostly on training and preparation opportunities due to restrictions due to the pandemic.
“For me, the most important thing is to follow my heart. To do this is much more important than winning gold medals. This is the thing that motivates me and makes me happy in this beautiful sport”, said Sifan Hassan.
Sifan Hassan is the world champion in the 1,500m and 10,000m, and on Monday, when temperatures in Tokyo are expected to reach 40 degrees, are the 1,500m series. Later in the evening is the final of 5,000m.
Sifan Hassan won two gold medals at the 2019 World Championships, in the 1500m and 10,000m events, becoming the only athlete (male or female) in history to win both events at a single World Championships or Olympic Games.
She was the 2016 1500m indoor world champion. At the 2015 World Championships in Athletics, she won a bronze medal in the 1500m, following that with a bronze medal in the 5,000m in the 2017 championships. Hassan is the world record holder for both the 5,000m road race (women’s only race) and the mile, both set in 2019, as well as the one hour run, set in 2020. She held the world record for the women’s 10,000m for two days in June 2021.
