Dutch star scheduled to run 5,000 meters in Switzerland, followed by 1,500 in Belgium, seeking first distance sweep in event history

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Two countries, a pair of races and different distances, all in less than 24 hours.

Dutch star Sifan Hassan, the European 5,000-meter champion and a double medalist at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in March, is preparing for a challenging and unique schedule at the Diamond League finals Thursday and Friday that could lead to a memorable moment in the meet’s nine-year history.

Hassan, representing Nike Oregon Project, is racing Thursday in the 5,000 final in Zurich, Switzerland, seeking her first Diamond League title at the distance after setting the European record July 13 by clocking 14 minutes, 22.34 seconds in Rabat, Morocco, elevating her to the No. 7 all-time performer.

Following a seven-hour drive to Brussels, Belgium, Hassan is scheduled to compete Friday in the 1,500 final, looking for her first Diamond League championship in the event since 2015.

“After I race, I can’t sleep for four or five hours, so I wait most of the time,” Hassan said Wednesday at the pre-meet press conference.

“I couldn’t find a flight at night after the race, so we’re going to drive by car.”

Hassan, 25, is looking to become the first female distance runner to win two Diamond League championships in the same year. The four women’s athletes to previously achieve the feat are all sprinters.

American Allyson Felix was the first athlete to achieve a Diamond League double by capturing the 200 and 400 meters in 2010, a feat matched last year by Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas.

Carmelita Jeter of the U.S. swept the 100 and 200 in 2011, with Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce matching that accomplishment in 2013.

Hassan attempted a similar double, albeit in a three-day span, at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham in March. She earned a silver medal in the 3,000, followed by a bronze in the 1,500.

“I have to put a different mindset for each one because they are different distances,” Hassan said. “After World Indoor Championships and European Championships, I feel much better (handling pressure). I feel like I’m learning.”

Hassan took second in Rabat to Kenya’s Hellen Obiri (14:21.75), with the athletes producing the top two 5,000 times in the world this year.

Hassan followed July 22 by running the third-fastest outdoor mile in history, clocking 4:14.71 in London, with a 1,500 split of 3:57.41.

After securing the European 5,000 crown Aug. 12 in 14:46.12 in Berlin, Hassan also won the 1,500 on Aug. 18 at the Muller Grand Prix in Birmingham in 4:00.60 in her last tuneup for the Diamond League final.

Following her daunting double, Hassan is scheduled to conclude her season Sept. 8 by running the 3,000 for Team Europe at the IAAF Continental Cup in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Before that, Hassan is focused on one race and one opportunity at a time in her pursuit of history in Switzerland and Belgium.

“Still I favor the 1,500 meters,” Hassan said. “If I run fast (Thursday), then maybe I will favor the 5,000 more. It’s going to be hard.”