Courtesy-Reuters
Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands broke the women’s 10,000m world record on Sunday, clocking 29 minutes 6.82 seconds at a Continental Tour race in Hengelo, according to World Athletics.
Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia held the previous record of 29:17.45 established at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but Hassan beat it by more than 10 seconds.
Hassan, who won gold in Doha in 2019 and she achieved it just days after her coach, Alberto Salazar, was sentenced to a four-year suspension by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. She is the reigning world champion, and she put down a marker ahead of next month’s Tokyo Olympics by blowing away the competition and racing single across the finish line with her arms spread in jubilation.
“To run this world record here in Hengelo today is something I could only dream of,” Hassan, who was born in Ethiopia, said. “It’s the icing on the cake for all of our hard work in getting ready for Tokyo. I’m overjoyed to be able to share this record with all of my Dutch admirers,” she added. Hassan also owns the mile, one-hour, and five-kilometer road racing records.
She stated before the Hengelo meet that she will most likely compete in the Tokyo Olympics in the 5000m and 10,000m. On August 2, the 5000m final will be held. The 10,000m will be held on August 7th. The 1500m final will be held on August 6.
Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia is the only woman to win the Olympic 5000m and 10,000m races, winning both in 2008 and 2012. Hassan competed in her first Olympic Games in 2016, finishing sixth in the 1500m and failing to qualify for the 800m heats.
Hassan was adamant that she was a good athlete who supported Salazar. Hassan stated that she was ranked first in the world in the 1500m in 2014, two years before joining Salazar’s Nike Oregon Project. She also said that when she joined the organization, she was aware that Salazar was under investigation, but she never saw evidence of misconduct. Since winning the World 10,000m championship in 2017, Ayana, 29, has only competed once on the track. She withdrew before the 2019 Worlds after getting surgery on both knees in July 2018.