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Dutch athlete, Sifan Hassan, who earned three medals at the Tokyo Olympic Games, after racing six times in eight days, proved she was human after all.

Hassan went to Eugene, Oregon, to race at Hayward Field in the Diamond League’s Prefontaine Classic. She was there to attempt to take Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey’s 5000m world record. She didn’t quite have it on the day finishing in the time of 14:27.89. Hassan did, however, run at world record pace from the gun.

The first 1000m was run in 2:49.3, then 2000m in 5:39.10. With 2K to go, she was hanging onto the pace at 8:30.54 and gradually slowing further off the pace.

Gidey’s record remains. She set it Tat 14:06.62 in Valencia, Spain in 2020. 

Ethiopians went 2-3 in Senbere Teferi clocking a 14:42.25 and Fantu Worku clocking a 14:424.85.

Hassan had dropped Gidey in the 10,000m event in Tokyo like she was standing still to win the gold. She won two gold and a bronze in Tokyo in 1500m (bronze), 5000m (gold) and 10,000m (gold). Her personal best in the 5000m is 14:22.12 from London 2019.

The 28-year-old former Ethiopian owns three world records in the mile (4:12.33), One hour (18.93km) and the 5km road distance with her 14:44 performance from Monaco 2019. Hassan has set eight national records for The Netherlands. She owns two more national records on the indoor tracks at 1500m and 3000m distances with her times of 4:00.46 and 8:30.76.

Ethiopian, Genzebe Dibaba, has the meet record at 14:19.76 from 2015.

112NEDHASSAN Sifan14:27.89SB 14:35.3414:22.12
210ETHTEFERI Senbere14:42.25 14:15.2414:15.24
311ETHWORKU Fantu14:42.85 14:26.8014:26.80

Men’s mile

Eight men ran the mile under the four-minute benchmark. The first three were Geordie Beamish from New Zealand with a 3:54.86 clocking, American Craig Engels crossing the finish line in 3:55.41 and Canadian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot close behind in 3:55.48.

Erik Sowinski paced the field through 800m in 1:54.97. Philibert-Thiboutot led through 1200, then the race was on.

The 3:54.86 is a new personal best for the Kiwi. In May this year, Beamish clocked his lifetime personal best at Griswold Stadium in Portland. The 24-year-old ran 3:37.57. He is having quite the year, also setting bests in the 3000m and 5000m distances at 7:55.09 and 13:31.58, respectively.

13NZLBEAMISH Geordie3:54.86 
29USAENGELS Craig3:55.41 3:53.973:51.60
37CANPHILIBERT-THIBOUTOT Charles3:55.48 3:52.973:52.97

Women’s 2000m

Some people argued that Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi should not be permitted to race in this distance as she is suspected to be intersex. Well, she destroyed a world-class field in this event.

Niyonsaba ran the world lead for 2021 and the meet record. She also clocked six seconds faster than one of the world’s fastest athletes in Letesenbet Gidey finishing in 9:00.75. Gidey finished second in 9:06.74, while Hellen Obiri was well back at 9:14.55.

Obiri is a three-time national record holder for Kenya and a two-time Olympic gold medallist. She wasn’t in the race, 13.20 seconds isn’t even close. Gidey is also an Olympic medallist and owns two world records in the 5000m (14:06.62) and 10,000m (29:01.03) and a world best in the road 15K at 44:20. The 23-year-old Ethiopian was also trounced, by almost exactly six seconds.

16BDINIYONSABA Francine9:00.75WLMR 
211ETHGIDEY Letesenbet9:06.74 
310KENOBIRI Hellen9:14.55 

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