The 2024 women’s Olympic marathon was set to be an epic battle between the powerhouses of Kenya and Ethiopia, with both nations bringing three medal favorites each.
Team Kenya was made up of defending Olympic Champion Peres Jepchirchir, New York City Marathon winner and two-time Boston Marathon winner Hellen Obiri, and New York City marathon winner and Boston Marathon runner-up Sharon Lokedi.
Team Ethiopia brought the current world record-holder, Tigst Assefa, two-time London Marathon medalist Alemu Megertu, and 2023 World Champion Amane Shankule.
However, while the Ethiopians and Kenyans took charge at the front of the race, one tall figure lingered in the back for all but 150m of the challenging 42.2km course.
As the race became a three-up battle for gold, it was the legendary Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands who came to the front with a surge that her other two competitors, Obiri of Kenya and Assefa of Ethiopia, couldn’t match.
After earning two bronze medals in the 5,000m and the 10,000m earlier in the week, Hassan capped off her triple in golden fashion…by taking the Olympic marathon crown.
However, her victory did not come without some controversy.
In the final 150m, when Hassan and Assefa were sprinting for the win, there was a bit of elbow action, and Assefa nearly lost her balance.
Here’s exactly what happened:
WHAT A FINISH!
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 11, 2024
Sifan Hassan sets an OLYMPIC RECORD in the women's marathon to win gold and her third medal of the #ParisOlympics! pic.twitter.com/qMQHsdntPH
Schieten jullie hier ook van vol?
— Sanny~Zoet (@ZoetSanny) August 11, 2024
GODSAMMUHHHH HASSANNNNN…. #marathon #Hassan pic.twitter.com/x5qE9CaTGd
As a result of the jostling, the Ethiopian team lodged a protest to have Hassan disqualified for obstruction.
World Athletics Technical Rule 17.2 states, “Jostling should be understood as physical contact with another athlete or athletes that results in an unfair advantage or causes injury or harm to them or, consequently, to another athlete or athletes.”
However, the protest was rejected by the Jury of Appeal and it appears that Assefa was blocking Hassan before the two athletes traded elbows.
“I didn’t expect at that moment it would happen. Maybe at that moment, if she didn’t push me, I would have the gold,” Assefa said following the race through a translator. “But anyway, I’m so happy for her that she gets the gold medal.”
Assefa did not specify whether she or the Ethiopian team asked for the protest: “I can’t say anything, but she is a good athlete.”
Outsiders have been quite divided on whether Hassan should have been disqualified or if this is just a part of racing.
Some online users say Sifan shouldn’t have thrown her elbow out, while others blame Assefa for cutting Hassan’s line.
What are your thoughts on the incident? Let us know in the comments.
