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2020 Summer Olympic Games
23 July – 8 August 2021
Tokyo, Japan
One of the great rivalries set to play out in the Athletics events at the
Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games sees Kenya’s Hellen Obiri and Sifan Hassan go head-to-head in both the Women’s 5,000m and 10,000m races.
The Finals for the 5,000m and 10,000m will be held at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on Monday 2 August and Saturday 7 August respectively.
Obiri will be the favourite for the 5,000m, as she is the two-time defending World Champion at the distance, but she is hopeful of also claiming the 10,000m title.
“The Tokyo Games are special for me since Olympic Gold is the only medal I am missing in my career. I am really working extra hard to get it,” said Obiri. “In 2019 I did not have much experience in the 10,000m but now I can say I know how to handle the race. I think this time I will also have enough time to prepare between the two races.”
Obiri’s biggest threat will come from the Netherlands’ Hassan – the reigning world champion at 10,000m – and the distance’s current world record holder, Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey, who set the new mark of 29:01.03 as recently as June this year.
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“Hassan and Gidey are very good athletes but for me I have nothing to worry about since this is a championship, it is all about experience and shape. My target is also to attain a new personal best in the race,” said Obiri.
Hassan, meanwhile, will not only be chasing both the 5,000m and 10,000m Gold Medals, but is also competing in the 1500m (the Final of which will be the day before the 10,000m). She won the double of 10,000m and 1500m at the last World Championships in 2019 and truly believes that she can complete a treble of Gold medals at these Olympic Games.
“The hardest moment and pressure in my life was in Doha and I handled it," explained the Ethiopian-born running star. "Tokyo will not be hard." She added, “Right now if you can see inside of my mind you would think I am crazy.”
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