Sifan Hassan Will Make 2022 Debut on Friday & Will Compete at 2022 Worlds

Olympic 5,000/10,000-meter champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands will open her 2022 season on Friday in the 5,000 meters at the Stumptown Twilight meet in Portland and is planning on competing at the World Championships, according to her coach Tim Rowberry. It will be Hassan’s first race since last year’s Diamond League final on September 9.

It is not uncommon for athletes to take longer to get going in the year following an Olympics, and no athlete was busier in Tokyo last year than Hassan, who ran six races across nine days, earning three medals (bronze in the 1500, gold in the 5,000 and 10,000). Rowberry said Hassan began preparing for her 2022 season in December as she usually does but it has taken most of the year to make sure she is recovered and excited to train again.”

“On the personal level, Sifan also is trying to take things slowly so she doesn’t burn herself out next year while building up for Paris [2024],” Rowberry added.

Hassan began the year with training stints in Namibia and Ethiopia but Rowberry said those training trips were not as productive as usual.

“Fasting during Ramadan this year also interrupted training more than usual,” Rowberry said about Hassan, who is Muslim, “so I felt it was necessary to postpone her races leading into Prefontaine rather than interrupt the slow training buildup.”

Rowberry said training has improved over the last two months, during which time Hassan has been based in Utah. The 5,000 on Friday will serve as a tuneup for Worlds and not much more (Hassan’s pb is 14:22; the #2 seed for the meet is 15:51). Currently, Hassan is entered in the 1500, 5,000, and 10,000 at the World Championships but is not planning on running all three events. Rowberry said they will make a decision on which event(s) to drop after this weekend.

posted Thursday July 7th
by Jonathan Gault