'I don’t think I am the GOAT'-Sifan Hassan makes stunning statement about her running legacy

Sifan Hassan

'I don’t think I am the GOAT'-Sifan Hassan makes stunning statement about her running legacy

Festus Chuma 10:00 - 14.01.2025

Sifan Hassan has dismissed claims of being the greatest, focusing instead on improving and achieving record-breaking marathon performances.

Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan continues to defy limits and inspire fans with her extraordinary feats on the track and road.

Yet, despite her trailblazing performances, including Olympic marathon gold and double bronze in the 10,000m and 5,000m at the Paris Olympics, the Dutch superstar firmly rejects the idea that she is the greatest female distance runner of all time.

The 31-year-old 2023 London Marathon champion made history in Paris, becoming the first athlete since Emil Zatopek in 1952 to win medals across three different events in the same Games.

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Still, Hassan insists she isn’t the greatest of all time (GOAT) because she believes embracing that title would hinder her drive for improvement.

“I don’t think I am the GOAT,” Hassan said.

“Because if I do, I’m not going to improve myself. Everybody has improvement in them, as long as they don’t give up. Even when you think you are amazing, you always have room to become more amazing.”

Hassan’s humility is matched by her ambition. She has her sights set on running faster at every distance—from the mile to the marathon—and achieving unprecedented feats, such as competing in four major marathons in a single year.

“I’m really crazy,” she said with a laugh.

“If you open my head, it has so many things. If I try to do something, or if I’m closer, I will tell myself: ‘Oh, I’m the GOAT of my imagination.’ I want to see what can I do. And I have room to improve.”

Hassan’s marathon prowess first captured global attention when she won the London Marathon in 2023. That victory was anything but straightforward.

Battling pre-race nerves, stopping mid-race to stretch an injured hip, and narrowly avoiding a collision with a motorbike, Hassan’s triumph was a testament to resilience and grit.

“London is in my heart,” she reflected.

“A miracle happened to me by working hard, by practising, by trying. I never dreamed that I was going to win marathon gold. But after I finished London, my brain suddenly thought about Paris.”

Her Olympic success in Paris was equally remarkable, given the challenges she faced leading up to the Games.

“Then before Paris, I really struggled. I had overtrained. When I arrived, I thought: ‘OK, my Olympic year is over.’ I had no desire. But I thought I just do my best.”

Since her Paris triumph, the marathon world has been shaken by Ruth Chepngetich’s groundbreaking 2:09:56 world record.

While Hassan marvels at the achievement, it has also fueled her own aspirations.

“It’s unbelievable,” she said. “No one thought a female would run that time. I’m really happy that she did it, because I don’t care how she did it, she just showed me it is possible.

“If I train it correctly, it will maybe take me two years. First I have to be in 2:11 shape. Then 2:10. And then run that time. But it is possible.”