Sifan Hassan wears hijab on Olympic podium after record-breaking marathon win
Paris: Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands set an Olympic record in the women’s marathon, the final track and field event of the Paris Games, with a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 55 seconds. Her performance, especially in the last 250 meters, secured her the gold medal.
However, her victory was marked by more than just her athletic prowess. Hassan accepted her gold medal during the final podium ceremony at the Olympics 2024 wearing a hijab. This act held particular significance as it occurred against the backdrop of France’s controversial decision to ban France's female athletes from wearing hijabs during the competition.
The sight of Hassan receiving her medal while wearing her hijab resonated globally, drawing widespread applause from fans.
Social media erupted with support, praising her courage in standing against the ban.
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Many users highlighted the contrast between her victory and France’s policy, calling it a powerful statement against the country’s stance on religious attire.
Criticism of France’s decision has been extensive, with the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation and Amnesty International both arguing that the ban contradicts the Olympics' values of equality, inclusion, and respect for cultural diversity. Amnesty International had expressed these concerns just a week before the Games began.
Hassan’s triumph in the marathon caps a remarkable journey. A former Ethiopian asylum-seeker, she won three long-distance running medals in just six days, including a bronze in both the 10,000m and 5,000m events. Her achievement makes her the first athlete since Emil Zatopek in 1952 to medal in all three distance events at a single Games.
Hassan's legacy was already significant before these Games. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she won gold in both the 5,000m and 10,000m, as well as a bronze in the 1,500m, making her the first athlete to medal in both middle and long-distance events at the same Olympics. With her latest victory, she also became the only woman to win gold medals in all three long distance running events: 5,000m, 10,000m, and the marathon.
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Illegally stored gas cylinders seized
Thane (PTI): Authorities have seized illegally stored 1,839 gas cylinders and seven vehicles worth over Rs 67 lakh in the Dombivli MIDC area of Thane district, officials said on Saturday.
A special vigilance team of the Mumbai Rationing Department detected an illegal storage of domestic and commercial LPG cylinders in Phase-2 of Dombivli (East).
Cylinders belonging to multiple gas agencies were found stockpiled in closed vehicles, unauthorised warehouses, and open sheds without mandatory permissions from the Explosives Department, Fire Department, or oil companies, according to an official release.
