Intro for August 12, 2024

Dear Gossips,   

Today is the first day this month with no Olympics, and I am already in withdrawal! Which, of course, most benefits those corrupt assholes at the IOC; although, apparently, they’re in their anti-corruption era right now and it’ll be interesting to see whether or not any of that momentum carries forward to Los Angeles, where the Summer Games will be held in 2028 and before that, the Milan Cortina Winter Games in 2026 as there is some concern that they’re behind schedule on some of the venues.

Still, as a lifelong Olympics fan though, right now in the afterglow, I’m just appreciating the real stars of the Olympics, the athletes, and all the joy and entertainment they delivered over these two and a half weeks, right down to the last day. The women’s marathon closed out Paris 2024, the first time this event has ever been the final competition at the Olympics. Which is huge, because it was just 40 years ago that women were even “allowed” to run the marathon at the Games – prior to that it was believed that the marathon was “too dangerous” for delicate women and their fragile bodies. 

Fragile?

Well then how do you explain Sifan Hassan? In Tokyo, she won gold in the 5000m and the 10,000m and bronze in the 1,500. Which is already f-cking badass. But then she was like all like, oh, let me make it harder for myself and see if I can start running marathons … LAST YEAR!? The London Marathon 2023 was the first time Sifan competed in that event, and she WON. 

During these Olympics in Paris, however, prior to the marathon on the final day of the Games, she’d already competed in 5000m and the 10,000m, earning bronze medals in each. So she was coming into the marathon with already a lot of mileage on her body in less than two weeks, and just 48 hours before she’d run the 10k and came in third. By the time the marathon was over she’d run a total of 62km or just over 38 miles – and she finished the marathon in Olympic record time… because she sprinted past the eventual silver medallist and current world record holder, Tigst Assefa, in the last 300 meters….

What The F… ?

And the “F” in this case does NOT stand for “fragile”. 

Sifan Hassan is a legend! Which is why she was presented with the final gold medal of the Paris Olympics during the Closing Ceremony last night, again the first time this has ever happened at the Games. 

Sifan Hassan, a main character forever. 

Yours in gossip, 

Lainey