Why did Sifan Hassan move to the Netherlands?

Ethiopian-born Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan moved to the Netherlands in search of new and better opportunities at 15 as a refugee in 2008. Her athleticism brought her a better life.

Her mother and grandmother raised Hassan, born in Adama in the southeast of Addis Ababa, on a farm during her childhood.

Sifan Hassan came to the limelight today (Sunday) after she won gold in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics 2024, and even no athlete attempted to run all three distances in the Olympics in 40 years.

Hassan ended her mammoth week with a gold on Sunday after she completed her remarkable treble bid to medal in the 5,000-metre, 10,000-metre, and marathon.

Earlier, in 1952, athlete Emil Zátopek, the great Czech runner, has ever medalled in all three events when he cleaned all three golds in Helsinki.

With a timing of 2:22:55, Hassan broke the Olympic record in the marathon while Tigst Assefa from Ethiopia took silver and Hellen Obiri from Kenya won bronze.

After the race, Hassan said she has no words. She regretted that she ran the 5000m and 10,000m at every moment in the race.

The 31-year-old Hassan entered the race by running 50 laps of the Stade de France track this week. By the game, she earned bronze medals in the women’s 5,000 and 10,000 meters.

In her reaction, Hassan also said you know, the marathon is something else. When you do 42 kilometres over two hours and 20 minutes, you feel so hard and so painful in every single step.

She said the whole moment was a release when she finished. It is unbelievable for her.

Hassan said she had never experienced anything like that. Even the other marathons were not close to this.

The athlete said she couldn’t stop celebrating when she finished the game. She was feeling dizzy and wanted to lie down. Later, she thought that she earned the Olympic champion. How is this possible for her?

Moreover, Hassan won Olympic medals ranging from the 1,500 metres to the marathon. Hassan completed another treble at Tokyo 2020, where she won bronze in the 1,500-metre, as well as the 5,000 and 10,000-metre.