Sifan Hassan remembers it well, three years ago in Tokyo as she attended the Olympics closing ceremony after pulling off a famous treble of medals in the 1500m, 5,000m and 10,000m. The Dutch athlete had completed a herculean effort, yet she quickly found herself gazing over at men’s marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge.
The Kenyan great was reminiscing with Hassan’s compatriot Abdi Nageeye, who had just won silver, and Hassan found herself in awe of the pair. There was “jealousy” even, and despite her own athletic greatness, she wondered, “how do these people do the marathon? It’s just crazy to push human endurance this much.”
Fast forward to 2024 and Kipchoge’s mantra, “no human is limited,” has clearly rubbed off on Hassan after her historic achievement in Paris. She confessed to being “curious” ahead of the daunting and “impossible” treble of the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon. It would mean 50 laps of the track and just 35 hours to recover upon completing the 10,000m final before tackling 26.2 miles. Not any old marathon, either – this was the hardest Olympic marathon course in history, with several menacing hills and a combined elevation to surpass both the Boston and New York marathons.
This story is from the August 13, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 13, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Carse justifies England faith as the archetypal bold pick
If you won a boxing match after your opponent continually punched themselves in the face, how much credit can you take?
Tenacious Diallo the key to Amorim pressing machine
Old Trafford has not seen anything like this before.
Gold King Cole packs the Bridge with merry old souls
In the 83rd minute, the ball rolled to the feet of Cole Palmer in a bubble of space outside Aston Villa's box, and the crowd snapped to attention.
Vibrant Anfield marks the changing of the Guardiola
There was a lull in the noise, a break in the Anfield atmosphere, when a defiant chant emerged from a corner near Stefan Ortega’s goal.
What is so daunting about Spain's new data checks?
Q You have written about the new “red tape” for visitors to Spain. So, as well as your usual passport details you will give a contact number, address and email. Not exactly the Spanish Inquisition, is it?
Sectarian clashes claim at least 130 lives in Pakistan
At least 130 people were killed in deadly sectarian clashes in Pakistan's northwestern Kurram district in spite of a tentative ceasefire, days after gunmen opened fire on a convoy of vehicles carrying Shia Muslims, local officials said.
Coalition government likely in Ireland as count proceeds
Fianna Fail say decisions on power-sharing for another day’
How Syria's forgotten war is back on the world's agenda
Many believed the country was lost in an unsolvable conflict, until everything changed in a matter of days, writes Bel Trew
Assad regime scrambles to halt Syrian rebels’ advance
Civilians reportedly killed by Russian and Syrian airstrikes
Mother of poisoning victim says she knew she would die
Lawyer Simone White succumbed to the effects of methanol while backpacking in Laos with two of her childhood friends
