Sifan Hassan on Sunday rebounded from her dramatic fall metres from the finish of the 10,000m world final to reach the 1500m final at the World Athletics Championships.
The 30-year-old Dutch runner bore evidence of Saturday’s fall with bandages on her knees and an elbow but it was more what damage it had inflicted on her morale that was to be tested in Budapest.
However, the Ethiopia-born 5,000m/10,000m Olympic champion showed fighting spirit to ease into Tuesday’s final, timing a season’s best 3min 55.48sec to finish third in her semi-final behind winner Faith Kipyegon and Diribe Welteji of Ethiopia.
Kenya’s defending champion Kipyegon presents a massive obstacle for Hassan to take the crown having set three world records this season, including in the 1500m.
She also denied Hassan a golden treble at the Tokyo Olympics when the Kenyan won gold with Hassan taking bronze.
