THE HAGUE: Ethiopian-born Dutch runner Sifan Hassan
(pic) smashed Paula Ratcliffe’s long-standing European record for the women’s 10,000m at the weekend.
Hassan, who won double gold in the 1,500m and 10,000m at last year’s world championships in Doha, timed 29min 36:67sec after 25 laps in rainy conditions at Hengelo.
It obliterated by more than 24 seconds the previous record of 30:01:09 set by Britain’s Ratcliffe in 2002. Only seven other female runners have been below the 30min mark, and Hassan becomes the first European to do so.
“I am so happy to have run a new European record, especially a record that has stood for so long by such a strong athlete as Paula,” said Hassan, who is the world record holder for both the 5km road race and the mile, both set in 2019, as well as the one hour run, set in Brussels in September.
“It was a very difficult race today as it was so cold and wet. I was feeling really strong today and wished for a bit better conditions, but this record gives me a lot of confidence.”
Despite being aided by the new Wavelight technology built into the track, conditions proved too difficult for Hassan, who was coached by the now-banned Alberto Salazar, to really launch a world record attempt.
That record belongs to Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana, who timed 29:17.45 when winning gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
