BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Sifan Hassan stumbled and fell in the stretch of the 10,000 meters at the world championships Saturday, ruining her chance to match the three medals she captured two years ago at the Olympics.
Hassan, who runs for the Netherlands, was sprinting for the finish line, trying to hold off eventual winner Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia. With Tsegay closing in at about the 50-meter mark, Hassan stumbled and fell, her hands skidding along the track.
Tsegay finished in 31 minutes, 27.18 seconds to lead an Ethiopian sweep. She defeated world-record holder Letesenbet Gidey by .98 seconds. Ejgayehu Taye finished third.
Earlier in the day, Hassan moved through the first round of the 1,500 meters with ease. Her goal in Budapest is to compete in the 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 — a total of 24,500 meters over the span of eight days.
In Tokyo two years ago, she won bronze in the 1,500 and gold in the 5,000 and 10,000.
After the fall, she walked across the finish line with scrapes on her hands but no other apparent injuries. Her official finish was 11th. Her next race is the 1,500 semifinals Sunday.
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