Dutch runner sets Olympic marathon record and wins gold

Despite the fact that the Closing Ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Paris is scheduled for this evening, fans still have a few competitions to look forward to, with the first being the women’s marathon.

Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan was the first to cross the finish line, completing the 42.195 km course in 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 55 seconds. This time is a new Olympic record, surpassing the previous record of 2:23:07 set by Ethiopia’s Tiki Gelana. Gelana finished second in today’s race, managing to break her own record but still trailing Hassan by 3 seconds.

Rounding out the top three was Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, who completed the course in 2 hours, 23 minutes, and 10 seconds.

It's noteworthy that while Hassan broke the Olympic record, she was still far from the world record. The best time in 2023 was set by Tigst Assefa, who completed the distance in 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 53 seconds.

This medal marks Hassan's third at the current Games. She previously won bronze in the 5,000 and 10,000-meter races. Throughout her Olympic career, the Dutch runner has now earned a total of three medals. At the previous Olympics in Tokyo, she claimed victory in the same races where she took bronze this time around.

Let us remind you that yesterday the Olympic record was also broken in the men's marathon.