Olympic Champion Sifan Hassan explains the day-to-day challenges women encounter and how they must use those challenges as motivation to rise above all odds.
As the world celebrates International Women’s Day on Saturday, Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan has delivered a rallying call to all women worldwide.
The Dutchwoman, most recognized for her versatility in running championship and world-leading performances in widely disparate distances, said the success of any generation is dependent on women.
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Hassan, 32, completed an unprecedented triple at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, winning gold medals in both the 5000m and 10000m and a bronze medal for the 1500m.
Speaking to World Athletics, Hassan narrated how her origin and background enabled her to change perceptions about the world and the general view of women.
Manchester United players congratulated Benni McCarthy on his appointment as Harambee Stars head coach.
“When women are better, the generation will get better. Because when the mother is happy, when the mother has confidence, the child will have confidence,” Hassan observes.
“I come from an African background, you see many times, most of the challenges are on the female side. It’s up to us to take it as a motivation in making us stronger and tougher or cry about these.”
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Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has joined the list of highest paid Africa national team coaches but he still does not compare to many others on the continent.
Hassan is the only athlete in Olympic history to win medals across a middle-distance event and both long-distance races in a single Games.
She is only the second of three women to complete an Olympic distance double. Hassan maintained that the challenges facing women are endless and cannot be dealt with completely, arguing the women to rise above their hurdles and view life positively in order to reap the fruits of their hard work in future.
“It doesn’t matter whether in 20 years or in 100years, the female is always going to have challenges. However, that challenge has to be taken as inspiration. These challenges are like training. you don’t have to cry all the time. If I passed this test then any woman can.”
Sifan Hassan was born in Adama, Oromia, Ethiopia and raised in the countryside of Kersa in the Munesa district of the Arsi Zone of Oromia.
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Harambee Starlets have moved up seven places in the latest FIFA rankings thanks to their impressive results against Tunisia in the WAFCON qualifiers.
She was a recreational runner there. She left her home country as a refugee and arrived in the Netherlands in 2008 at age 15. She began running while undertaking studies to become a nurse. Hassan became a Dutch citizen in 2013.
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Hassan secured a bronze medal in both the women’s 5,000m and 10,000m events and gold in the women’s marathon, becoming the only woman to win the Olympic gold medal in the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon races
