“I can’t underestimate her condition, but Sevan, who already set a European record in the half marathon a few years ago, must also be among the best in the world overall.”

Houdet wasn’t surprised when Hassan expressed her ambition last winter to compete in the marathon in addition to the track at the 2024 Paris Games. “If you can do what I showed in Tokyo at 5K and 10K, it’s not hard to carry that over to the marathon. Especially with a The experience you already have in half. It would be weird not to try.”

Hodt met Hassan in 2012. After escaping from Ethiopia, her talent was soon recognized in the Netherlands and she started a milling business. “We gave Sevan the whole list, as we do with junior athletes. She never trained specifically, but she developed the storm especially at 1,500 metres. She liked it too. They didn’t like the three (kilometres) three and five (kilometres) that they were nothing truly.”

In the middle distance, she won the European title and the world indoor title before finishing only fifth in the 1500m at the 2016 Rio Olympics, due to her injury. Hassan broke up with her coach. “Completing something is never fun, but we weren’t mad at each other. I respected her decision. It was unfortunate that the injury she sustained while hiking the Grand Canyon.”

From afar, he saw Hassan become the queen of the Tokyo Games with a bronze medal in the 1500m. And now he is following her new move with curiosity. “It could go either way. If Sivan is good, she will go with the best. And they will come close to the world record in London. But it can also go wrong, see Eliud Kipchoge in Boston last week. A step she never made 30 kilometers to 40 kilometers. When the rig is on, I see it go back 1,500 metres.”

But Hoedt, who works as a coach and teacher at the Loopland Gelderland in Papendal, believes in his former student. “If she has the discipline, the rest, and no injuries, that can also be a great success, on the basis of the half she’s already had.”