Sifan Hassan wins women's marathon at Paris Olympics after trading elbows with Tigst Assefa

PARIS (AP) — Nobody will ever accuse Sifan Hassan of taking the easy route at the Olympics.

Heading into the last 150 meters of her 10-day Olympics odyssey that spanned three events and 38 miles (62 kilometers), the Netherlands' runner traded elbows with Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia, and then sprinted by her to win the last track event of the Paris Games.

Hassan added gold to the bronze medals she won in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.

“I feel like I am dreaming. At the end, I thought, ‘This is just a 100-meter sprint. Come on, Sifan. One more. Just feel it,'" Hassan said. "Every step I challenged myself, and now I am so grateful.”

Hassan raised her hands and yelled as she crossed the line, before wrapping the Dutch flag around her head. Then, taking in the enormity of her win, Hassan plunged her head in her hands and appeared to weep with joy.

The finish had everything: suspense, speed, grit and feistiness, all against the stunning backdrop of a golden dome glittering under the morning sun.

Hassan, an Ethiopia native, finished in an Olympic record time of 2 hours, 22 minutes, 55 seconds. Assefa won silver, three seconds behind, and Kenya’s Hellen Obiri took the bronze.

The Ethiopian team lodged a protest to have Hassan disqualified for obstruction, but it was rejected by the Jury of Appeal. It looked as if Assefa was blocking Hassan before they traded elbows.

Hassan did not attend the post-race news conference, where Assefa said she would have won if Hassan hadn’t impeded her.

“I didn’t expect at that moment it would happen. Maybe at that moment, if she didn’t push me I would have the gold,” Assefa said through a translator. “But anyway, I’m so happy for her that she gets the gold medal.”

Assefa declined to specify if she asked for the protest or if it was the Ethiopian team on its own.

“I can’t say anything, but she is a good athlete,” Assefa replied.

By simply completing the marathon, the 31-year-old Hassan ran more than 38 miles. She now has six Olympic medals. In Tokyo, Hassan won the 5,000 and 10,000 and finished third in the 1,500.

“She has shown the world that she can do everything," Obiri said. "People say it’s impossible, but she’s done it. So I say 'Big up’ for her."

Obiri had tried to up the pace earlier, knowing she couldn't take Hassan in a sprint.

“She is so strong," Obiri said. "No way we could break her.”

Breaking from tradition, the women’s marathon was held on the final day of the Olympics instead of the men’s race.

Hassan used the same tactic in the hilly, 26.2-mile course as she does on the oval. She lingered behind the leaders for the bulk of the race before launching a late-race kick that will go down as one of the best the sport has seen.

As Hassan gathered to make her last pass, Assefa tried to block her path. Hassan moved to the inside around a bend.

Assefa tried to squeeze her against the barrier separating the course from the cheering fans. The runners traded elbows, then Hassan took off to victory.

Hassan's legend started building three years ago at the Tokyo Games when she was tripped up in a heat of the 1,500 but scrambled to her feet to win the race. She then went on to claim the bronze.

She wasn’t as dominant over the past two years, in part because she was storing up for this feat.

After the 5,000 meters last Monday and the 10,000 meters on Friday, Hassan had roughly 35 hours to recover for the marathon.

She entered the Games looking to match Emil Zatopek's performance from 1952, when the Czech runner swept the 5,000, 10,000 and the marathon at the Helsinki Games.

Hassan fell short, but she left a lasting impression.

"She’s inspired so many people,” said Obiri, a two-time Olympic silver medalist in the 5,000 meters.

Sharon Lokedi of Kenya was fourth on Sunday, and defending champion Peres Jepchirchir, her compatriot, placed 15th.

After 21 miles (almost 34 kilometers), Jepchirchir started falling back. That’s when Hassan and Obiri joined Amane Beriso Shankule and Lokedi at the front.

Shankule dropped off the pace near the end, making it a four-way race for gold, which became three when Lokedi fell back on the approach to the finish opposite the gold-domed Invalides monument, site of French emperor Napoleon’s tomb.

The marathon route traced the footsteps of an historic march that took place during the French Revolution.

The Women’s March on Versailles in 1789 was organized by women in the marketplace of Paris as they protested the high price of bread, leading to their trek from Paris to Versailles.

Starting out from Hôtel de Ville (City Hall), the somewhat hilly route passed through the parks and forests. Runners took in landmarks such as Opéra Garnier and the Louvre museum.

About halfway through, they passed near the regal grounds of the Palace of Versailles — once the home of French royalty — before doubling back toward Paris.

AP National Writer Eddie Pells contributed.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Gold medalist Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands, center, silver medalist Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa, left, and bronze medalist Kenya's Hellen Obiri, right, pose for photographers during the victory ceremony at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Gold medalist Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands, center, silver medalist Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa, left, and bronze medalist Kenya's Hellen Obiri, right, pose for photographers during the victory ceremony at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Gold medalist Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands, center, silver medalist Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa, left, and bronze medalist Kenya's Hellen Obiri, right, pose for photographers during the victory ceremony at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Kenya's Hellen Obiri celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the bronze medal at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Dakotah Lindwurm, of the United States, celebrates after crossing the finish line at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the silver medal at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the silver medal at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands,left, and Nepal's Shantoshi Shrestha, right, celebrate after crossing the finish line at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands, celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the gold medal at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands, right, and Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa, left, approach the finish line at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands, celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the gold medal at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands, celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the gold medal at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands, celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the gold medal at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands, celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the gold medal at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands, celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the gold medal at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands, reacts after crossing the finish line to win the gold medal at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands, celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the gold medal at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands, celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the gold medal at the end of the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Athletes compete during the women's marathon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Five Australians who had spent almost 20 years in Indonesian prisons for heroin trafficking returned to Australia on Sunday under a deal struck between the two governments, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

The governments confirmed weeks ago that negotiations were underway for Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen, and Michael Czugaj to be returned to Australia. Their return on Sunday was shrouded in secrecy.

There was uncertainty about whether they could potentially serve out their life sentences in Australian prisons. However, Albanese confirmed in a statement Sunday the men returned to Australia as free citizens.

He also thanked Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto for the men’s release.

“Australia respects Indonesia’s sovereignty and legal processes and we appreciate Indonesia’s compassionate consideration of this matter," Albanese said.

The five were among a gang of nine Australian smugglers arrested in the Indonesian tourist island of Bali in 2005 as they attempted to smuggle 8.3 kilograms (18.3 pounds) of heroin strapped to their bodies to Australia.

Two convicted ringleaders of the Bali Nine, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were executed by a firing squad in 2015, causing a diplomatic furor between neighbors Indonesia and Australia. One of the drug smugglers, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, died of cancer in prison in 2018, while Renae Lawrence, the only woman in the group, was released and returned to Australia the same year.

Indonesia’s senior law minister, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, said the five flew on the Australian airline Jetstar on Sunday from Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport to the northern Australian city of Darwin, with no media presence.

Mahendra also said their repatriation came after he and Australian Minister of Home Affairs Tony Burke signed a “Practical Arrangement” on Dec. 12 in a virtual meeting to send back the five traffickers.

He added that the men had not been pardoned by the Indonesian president and were transferred as “prisoners," but “once repatriated," they became the responsibility of the Australian government.

Australia's government had offered the five temporary accommodation, medical care and any other support required, local media reported.

Albanese said they will “have the opportunity to continue their personal rehabilitation and reintegration here in Australia.”

Their families said in a statement to local media the five were “relieved and happy to be back in Australia."

“They look forward, in time, to reintegrating back into and contributing to society,” the statement said.

“The welfare of the men is a priority, they will need time and support, and we hope and trust our media and community will make allowance for this,” the families added.

Associated Press writers Niniek Karmini and Dita Alangkara in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.

In this photo released by the Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Affairs, Indonesian and Australian officials sign handover documents as five Australians who have spent almost 20 years in Indonesian prisons for heroin trafficking look on, prior to their return to Australia, in Bali, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Affairs via AP)

FILE - Australian Matthew Norman, left, a member of the Bali Nine group and serving life sentences for drug smuggling, talks with Indonesian representative council at Kerobokan prison in Bali, Indonesia Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)