I loved that she just did her thing: folded herself anonymously in a pack, moved quietly along maintaining contact with the lead pack. Made no sudden moves or noticeable surges. Inched up on the leaders. Then in the final moments laid down a kick that left others gasping in her wake. Typical Hasan. Bank on her!
I loved that she just did her thing: folded herself anonymously in a pack, moved quietly along maintaining contact with the lead pack. Made no sudden moves or noticeable surges. Inched up on the leaders. Then in the final moments laid down a kick that left others gasping in her wake. Typical Hasan. Bank on her!
Very much like her win in London except she never completely lost contact with the leaders, though she fell back on the final hill. The lead pack needed to try and make a break with 5K to go, but they couldn’t or wouldn’t. Ending up 800-1000 m from the end with Hassan still attached spelled their certain doom. The idea that any of them were going to close out Hassan over 800 m was preposterous. Maybe once upon a time Obiri might, but not in 2024.
Is there any argument against Hassan being the greatest female runner of all time at this point? Who else is elite at the 800 to the marathon with the medals and world records to back it up?
I think there are lots of arguments against Hassan as GOAT. Doesn't mean any of them are right. But Hassan is undoubtedly the most singular female runner of all time, and running the way she does is going to leave holes.
Hassan has never been as dominant in an event as Kipyegon in the 1500, or several other runners in their best events. It's been very rare for her to come into a global final as a prohibitive favorite (maybe 2019?). And in global championships, she has more minor medals than golds.
She's run world records, but only 3, including the hour run. Her mile world record was crushed last year by Kipyegon, while her 10000 world record was broken 2 days later by Gidey. If you're talking most outrageous records, Hassan hasn't quite reached the heights of Kipyegon, Gidey, and maybe one or two others.
On a similar note, while Hassan is #2 all-time in the marathon, Assefa's time is nearly two minutes faster than hers. That's a huge margin, and depending on how you weight the different parts of the sport, there's still an argument that Assefa is the world's best marathoner.
Hassan has never run world cross, which Tirunesh Dibaba won four times. Dibaba also has more global golds, and exactly the same (multi)set of Olympic medals. There are several other multiple-time World XC champions who also have stellar track and/or road resumes which could enter the discussion: Grete Waitz, Derartu Tulu, Paula Radcliffe.
So, it depends how you look at it. To me, Hassan is the GOAT. But last year, we were all saying that Kipyegon was the GOAT, and she just won gold and silver, and broke an Olympic record. If you look for dominance in a single event, with a moderate ability to go outside that event, Kipyegon would still be ahead of Hassan. If you look for times, or record in major championships, Hassan also would not be #1.
I do think all of that fails to capture Hassan's brilliance. She is close to, and sometimes better than, the other greats at their own specialties. Meanwhile, Hassan can do things no other runner can come close to matching. To me, that means GOAT.
But Hassan has ruined that question for us forever. There will always be an argument that others are better (see above). And there will always be an argument that Hassan is the greatest, since what future runner will even dream of running two Olympic triples, over four events, and winning medals in every event (3 gold). It is likely that Hassan, like Nurmi, like Zatopek--but perhaps unlike any other runner today--will never be entirely outclassed, fully relegated to the mists of time.
Some of the arguments about dominance in one event and not having any strong world records might be valid, but I don't buy Assefa being better than Hassan at the marathon right now. Hassan has run 4 marathons, won 3 of them, including the Olympic gold and has the second fastest marathon all time.
At this point she's going to be the favorite for any marathon she enters and if she dedicates herself fully to the road instead of the track I have no doubts she'd be able to challenge the world record as well.
I loved that she just did her thing: folded herself anonymously in a pack, moved quietly along maintaining contact with the lead pack. Made no sudden moves or noticeable surges. Inched up on the leaders. Then in the final moments laid down a kick that left others gasping in her wake. Typical Hasan. Bank on her!
It's as though Noah Lyles has taken up marathon running. Nothing to it.
There is a reason that Gault's article on the LRC homepage was titled: "UNBELIEVABLE: SIFAN HASSAN COMPLETES OLYMPIC TRIPLE BY OUTSPRINTING TIGST ASSEFA FOR MARATHON GOLD." I don't know whether it was Gault or Rojo who added "Unbelievable" before the article title, but I fully agree.
It is too improbable for belief that an athlete, especially an athlete whose prior coach was sanctioned for "
orchestrating and facilitating prohibited doping conduct" could have completed the Olympic triple with three medals against other doped athletes.
She was team mate of an American guy who won silver behind Mo Fara and never seen doing anything else again.
Even soccer players tell us its not easy or is impossible to play 3 games a week let alone run a marathon is the hardest condition on the back of a 10k, 1.5k etc. She is doper if ever i have seen one.
Have you seen a soccer player get sneezed on during a match, when they're supposed to be competing? It's like they've been hit by a truck. Don't need them saying what's easy or possible for true competitors.
I loved that she just did her thing: folded herself anonymously in a pack, moved quietly along maintaining contact with the lead pack. Made no sudden moves or noticeable surges. Inched up on the leaders. Then in the final moments laid down a kick that left others gasping in her wake. Typical Hasan. Bank on her!
Part of her genius is looking like she's just tagging along.
It's a boring topic if you never have anything new to say.
Then elite running is boring. Because it's rife with doping.
Of course it's "rife with doping" but that's not PC as we say in the legal biz. It's not probable cause. Either get your Nancy Drew on and literally catch some athletes with some substances or stop harping on it on every single thread. Time to sh*t or get off the pot. This is a thread about Sifan Hassan and her achievements, and unless you're going find some substances in her possession or in her body, at some time that's relevant to this race, I'm not interested. I'm talking about real evidence. I'm not talking about so and so was her coach in 2019 or whatever. Get your camera and your notebook and go! Solve this crime!
Otherwise, therapy and SSRIs will probably help you with this obsession.
This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.
Then elite running is boring. Because it's rife with doping.
Of course it's "rife with doping" but that's not PC as we say in the legal biz. It's not probable cause. Either get your Nancy Drew on and literally catch some athletes with some substances or stop harping on it on every single thread. Time to sh*t or get off the pot. This is a thread about Sifan Hassan and her achievements, and unless you're going find some substances in her possession or in her body, at some time that's relevant to this race, I'm not interested. I'm talking about real evidence. I'm not talking about so and so was her coach in 2019 or whatever. Get your camera and your notebook and go! Solve this crime!
Otherwise, therapy and SSRIs will probably help you with this obsession.
When you were watching the peloton in the TDF a few years back it was confirmed they were all doping. Yet according to WADA track and field is now a worse doping offender than cycling. Tell me about those clean track and field athletes and marathon runners. The wilful naivety and denial in this place is almost performance enhanced.
"I hate how she runs for the netherlands. you are ethiopian! don't give colonizers a free gold medal."
- She runs for whom she chooses.... PERIOD!
exactly. and while im sure she loves and takes pride in being Ethiopian, she probably notices like the rest of us how controlling and disruptive their athletics leadership is.
btw maybe a good thread to ask if Sifan Hassan has ever been outkicked at a distance over 5000m ?
Back in 2019 is the only time I can clearly remember her outkicked, but only 1500m against Dibaba who looked like she went deep into the well gritting her teeth and was destroying herself while Hassan look like her classical flailing finish