Defending champion Sifan Hassan took second place in her Olympic 5,000 metres qualifying heat on Friday with a typical last-minute charge to overtake seven women in the home straight and finish a tenth of a second behind Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon.
Kipyegon, who three weeks ago broke her own 1,500 metres world record and will defend her gold medal over that distance in Paris, is also hoping to make a mark in her Olympic debut over 5,000m.
Dutchwoman Hassan has an even more ambitious programme at the Games, competing in the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon.
Hassan, 31, who took the distance running world by storm last year when she won the London Marathon on her debut over 42km, got the loudest cheer of the lineup in the Stade de France.
In her usual style, she started at the back of the pack while Japan’s Yuma Yamamoto shot ahead. But with around two kilometres to go Hassan started to make her move, joining the leading group.
In the last 200 metres, she went up a gear, cruising wide round the bend and easing to second place in a time of 14 minutes 57.65 seconds.
“I was super-nervous before the heat,” Hassan told reporters, smiling and laughing.
Asked about her gruelling Olympic schedule, she said: “I like the 5000m, the 10,000m and I think I’m still a bit too worried about the marathon.”
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In the second heat, Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet pipped Ethiopia’s Medina Eisa to top spot with a time of 15:00.73 as Burundi’s Francine Niyomukunzi stumbled on the last lap but recovered to finish fifth and qualify.
Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye, second-fastest in the world over the distance this season, finished sixth with fellow Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay, Tokyo bronze medallist, fifth in a season’s best time.
The first eight in each heat advanced to the final, set for Monday at 9:15 p.m. local time.
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