Sipan Hassan had a remarkable week of performances, winning Olympic gold in the women's marathon and already has two bronze medals in long-distance track events.
Hassan returned to competition just 36 hours after finishing third in the 10,000m final and won the marathon in an Olympic record time of 2:22:55.
The Ethiopian Dutchwoman, who also won bronze in the 5,000m on Tuesday, became the first European to win the event since Romania's Constantina Dita Tomescu in 2008.
Hassan wins women's marathon, sets Olympic record
Hassan, a two-time Olympic champion who won gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m at Tokyo 2020, beat Ethiopia's Tigst Asefa by three seconds in the sprint final, with Kenya's Helen Obiri taking bronze.
“I think I'm dreaming,” Hassan said. “At the end I thought, 'This is just a 100-meter dash. Come on, try again. Just feel it, like a 200-meter dash.'”
How Hassan won a historic marathon gold medal
Hassan used the same strategy on the hilly 26.2-mile course as she did on the track, staying behind the leaders for most of the race but gathering energy late in the race to produce a spectacular kick that will go down as one of the greatest kicks in the history of the sport.
Surprisingly, the race looked like a crowded race on the straight course. As Hassan gathered for the final pass, Asefa tried to block her path and Hassan went around the bend and moved inside.
Asefa tried to push herself against the barrier that separated her from the fans cheering her on. The runners rubbed elbows, and Hassan overtook Asefa to win. She won six Olympic medals by running more than 62 km in a week, just by completing the marathon.
Hassan entered the Games hoping to match Czech athlete Emil Zátopek's performance in the 5,000 m, 10,000 m and marathon at the 1952 Helsinki Games, but ended up winning a gold and two bronze medals.
Hassan enjoyed a memorable Olympics
Britain's Clara Evans finished 46th, more than 10 minutes behind Hassan's winning time but still her best time of the season. Britain's Rose Harvey was 78th and Carly Hauger-Tackery did not finish.
What happened in the men's marathon?
A day earlier, Britain's Emile Kaires emerged as a strong contender after finishing an impressive fourth in the men's marathon, which Ethiopia's Tamirat Tola won in an Olympic record.
Tola won the title in 2:06.26, earning his country its first Olympic gold medal. Belgium's Bashir Abdi took silver in 2:06.47, while Kenya's Benson Kipruto claimed bronze in 2:07.00.
Kaires, who qualified for the Paris Olympics by finishing third in the London Marathon in April, finished fourth in 2:07.29, while Eliud Kipchoge, who was aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive Olympic title, failed to finish.
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