Netherlands' Sifan Hassan completes Paris medals sweep in marathon

PARIS -- The Netherlands' Sifan Hassan deployed her famous late kick to win the women's marathon at the Paris Olympics on Sunday, adding the gold to her bronze medals in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters earlier in the week.

Hassan battled with Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia and managed to shake her off in the last stretch, crossing the finish line in an Olympic record time of two hours, 22 minutes and 55 seconds.

Assefa, three seconds behind her, took silver and Kenya's Hellen Obiri claimed the bronze in 2:23:10.

Hassan's victory capped a grueling Olympics schedule as the 31-year-old became the first athlete to medal in all three distance events at a single Olympics since Czech Emil Zatopek in 1952.

"I feel like I am dreaming," Hassan said. "At the end I thought, 'This is just a 100m sprint. Come on, Sifan. One more. Just feel it, like someone who sprints 200m'."

Hassan initially signed up for the Olympic 1,500 meters as well before deciding that three events would be enough of a challenge.

Earlier this week, Hassan said finishing the marathon is "a kind of hell," and on Sunday she collapsed after the finish line before picking herself up, beaming and waving as the crowd cheered.

"Every step I challenged myself, and now I am so grateful I didn't push myself too much on the track. I was scared of this race," she said after the marathon.

The race had been impossible to call with all the favorites among a leading pack up until the last six miles of the 26.2-mile race.

Defending champion Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir then dropped back as Assefa plowed ahead with a handful of challengers. Hassan hung onto the back of the pack in much the same way she does on the track, biding her time before pouncing.

She delivered her devastating turn of pace on the last turn, sneaking past Assefa on the inside and briefly knocking elbows with the Ethiopian, who tried to rally but could not catch up.

Ethiopia filed a request to disqualify Hassan for obstruction after she collided with Assefa in the final sprint, but the request was rejected.

Assefa told a news conference Hassan had pushed her but congratulated her on the win, speaking through a translator. Asked if the collision had ruined her shot at gold, she said "Yes."

Hassan did not attend the news conference.

Assefa, 27, had looked likely to make it an Ethiopian sweep of the Olympic marathons after Tamirat Tola won the men's race on Saturday, as she surged up the course's steep hills looking calm throughout.

Assefa has two of the fastest marathon times ever.

She had to settle for silver on Sunday, though, in a repeat of her second-place finish at the London marathon in April when Jepchirchir prevailed.

Obiri, 34, ran a masterful race to clinch bronze, powering on despite having to stop because she was ill at one point.

"I felt so bad in my stomach. I do not know -- maybe because of that, I stopped and puked," she said. "Then, to catch up with the girls, I used a lot of energy."

Tackling the exceptionally hilly Paris course on a hot morning, the athletes grabbed bags of ice at each pitstop to cool themselves off.

--Reuters, Special to Field Level Media