VIDEO: Dutch Athlete Wins Despite Falling Down During Tokyo Olympic Race

Sifan Hassan showed why she is the reigning world champion. During the women?s 1500m race, the Ethiopian-born Dutchman fell during the last lap of the race. She went from dead last to win the heat in a matter of about 62 seconds.?

The 5,000m and 10,000m world champion made the decision to run the 1500 m race as well. She will be going for an unprecedented treble in distance running at the Olympics. She wants to win the gold in all three events and establish her dominance.

Sifan Hassan makes an amazing recovery

Hassan was third last at the start of the last lap. A Kenyan, Edinah Jebitok, tripped on one of the other competitors. In a chain reaction, she fell down, taking Hassan down with her. Hassan was trying not to run an all-out race because she would have to come back in the evening for her 5000m final.

The fall changed everything, as Sifan Hassan ran from last place to first in the last lap. She spent valuable energy that she would need for her 5000m battle against two-time World Champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya.

The win kept her dream of going for the treble alive, a decision she made last minute. She was skeptical at first to run all three events because of the challenging conditions in Tokyo. Temperatures were set to soar to around 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Tokyo.

Sifan Hassan will have to run 6 races in eight days, in the unforgiving Tokyo heat and humidity. She has 2 races on the same day today and will have to run the 1,500 and 10,000m finals on back-to-back days.?

Road to Tokyo Olympics 2020

Hassan created history in the 2019 World Championships by becoming the only athlete in history (male or female) to win both the 5,000m and the 10,000m events. She has been on a rise ever since and will look to create history again at Tokyo 2020.

“For me it is crucial to follow my heart,” she said in a statement on Sunday confirming her participation in all three track events.

“Doing that is far more important than gold medals. That keeps me motivated, and it keeps me enjoying this beautiful sport.”

Hassan will have to get sufficient rest between her races to ensure that she doesn’t tire out.

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