Dutch distance running star Sifan Hassan has announced she will not compete at next month’s athletics world championships in Tokyo, choosing instead to run in the Sydney Marathon this weekend.
Idman.biz, citing Reuters, reports that the 32-year-old, who claimed Olympic marathon gold in Paris last year, said recovery time made it impossible to be ready for the championships, scheduled for September 13–21. “I can barely walk the first couple of days after a marathon,” Hassan told reporters, adding that the choice was difficult given her history of never missing a world championship since 2015 and her fond Olympic memories from Tokyo.
Sydney joins the prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors series this year, alongside races in London, New York, Boston, Chicago, Tokyo, and Berlin. “I really wanted to be part of Sydney because it’s now a major marathon,” she said. Hassan’s absence is a major blow to the Netherlands’ medal hopes, she has won six world medals, including a famous 1,500m–10,000m double in 2019.
Idman.biz
