Dutch runner attempting 6 distance races in 8 days fell on the final lap of qualifying but pulled off a stunning comeback to win

Scott Davis
Updated ·2 min read
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Dutch runner attempting 6 distance races in 8 days fell on the final lap of qualifying but pulled off a stunning comeback to win
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  • The Dutch runner Sifan Hassan fell on the final lap of the 1,500-meter qualifier at the Olympics.

  • Hassan then made an incredible comeback over the final lap and won the race.

  • Hassan is competing in the 1,500, 5,000, and 10,000 meters at the Olympics.

  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Dutch runner Sifan Hassan on Monday pulled off one of the most impressive comebacks of the Tokyo Olympics, keeping her medal chances alive in the 1,500 meters.

On the final lap of the four-lap race, Hassan bumped into another runner and fell.

Over the final lap, Hassan made up ground in stunning fashion, eventually pulling past the competition and winning the heat.

Hassan tripped over another runner just as the final lap began.

Arrow shows Sifan Hassan falling down in the women's 1,500-meter race at the Tokyo Olympics.
via Claro Sports

Hassan then got back on her feet and picked up the pace, quickly making ground on the rest of the pack.

Hassan was in 11th place among 13 runners when she began the final lap. About 35 seconds after falling, Hassan had moved into sixth.

Here's where Hassan stood with a little more than half the lap remaining:

Screenshot shows the women's 1,500-meter race, with an arrow on Sifan Hassan
via Claro Sports

Just over 20 seconds later, look how much ground Hassan had covered:

Arrow points to Sifan Hassan in sixth place in the women's 1,500 meter race at the Tokyo Olympics
via Claro Sports

By the time they rounded the bend for the final stretch, Hassan was right up in the front of the race, competing for the lead.

Arrow shows Sifan Hassan in the women's 1,500-meter race at the Tokyo Olympics.
via Claro Sports

In the final stretch, Hassan moved into the lead and won the race.

Sifan Hassan wins the women's 1,500 meter race at the Tokyo Olympics.
via Claro Sports

Hassan is taking on one of the most ambitious programs of any Olympian, competing in the 1,500 meters, the 5,000 meters, and the 10,000 meters. She'll run the six races - about 15 miles total - over eight days, according to The Guardian.

Given her stacked slate and the intense heat at the Tokyo Olympics, there is obvious concern that Hassan expended too much energy in her shortest race just to make the semifinal. Hassan was scheduled to run the 5,000-meter semifinal later Monday.

The epic comeback, however, also kept her hopes alive for a rare treble in distance running.

Read the original article on Insider