Double Olympic Gold Medalist Approaching World Championships After Much-Needed Break And Three Solid Months Of Training

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Tim Healy Photos

PORTLAND – Sifan Hassan arrived Friday in Oregon ahead of the World Athletics Championships and competed in her first race since early last September at the Stumptown Twilight meet at Jesuit High. 

Hassan used the meet to run a 5,000-meter "tempo" effort and ran 15:13.41 without a hint of strain. 

The 29-year-old Hassan, who represents The Netherlands, took nearly six months off after her unprecedented effort at the Tokyo Games last summer when she won gold medals in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters and a bronze in the 1,500. 

"Mentally and physically, it's hard," Hassan said. "So I just wanted to take a big break."

After winning the 1,500 and 10,000 at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Hassan trained rigorously for the Olympics and kept at it when the Games were delayed a year due to COVID-19. 

By the end of the Olympics, plus a few more meets to complete the season, she was ready to "crash."

"After Doha, I was training for two years. It was not easy," she said.

Hassan is entered in all thee distance events at the upcoming World Championships at Hayward Field (July 15-24) and said she is committed to running July 23 in the 5,000 meters. 

As the meet gets closer, she will decide whether to contest the 10,000-meter final July 16 or begin the rounds of the 1,500 meters on the same day. 

Hassan has been training recently in Utah with her coach, Tim Rowberry, and said she feels ready to compete at a high level once again after a three-month bloc of workouts and no racing prior to Friday's meet. 

Either way, she isn't stressed over it. After a well-earned break, she has designated 2022 as a year to "chill out."

Sam Tanner of New Zealand used the Stumptown Twilight as a tuneup as well, cruising to victory in the men's 1,500 meters in 3:36.93. 

Oregon Track Club Elite runners assembled at the Stumptown Twilight less than a day after absorbing the news that coach Mark Rowland has taken a job with Athletics Canada. 

Sabrina Southerland, who won the women's 800 meters in 2:01.53, said she knew very little about her own future or that of the OTC Elite. 

"Things are changing," she said. "Not quite sure what's going to happen, but taking it day by day."

Fellow OTC Elite members Ben Blankenship, Hanna Green, Angel Piccirillo, Vincent Ciattei, Mick Stanovsek and Natsuki Sekiya also raced Friday. 

Susan Ejore, who runs for Cascadia Elite, continued to feel good about her progress as she shifts more steadily from the 800 to the 1,500, and won in 4:07.67.