KATHMANDU, Aug 12: Nepali athlete Santoshi Shrestha achieved 79th place in the women’s marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Competing in her debut Olympic marathon, Shrestha finished the race in 2 hours, 55 minutes, and 06 seconds. Although she didn't break the national record, she had earlier set a milestone this year by winning gold at the Bangabandhu Marathon in Dhaka with a time of 2 hours, 46 minutes, and 22 seconds.
Shrestha arrived in Paris 10 days before the event to acclimatize and successfully completed the marathon despite a tough course. Notably, 11 competitors dropped out mid-race.
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Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan won the gold medal, setting a new Olympic record with a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 55 seconds. The previous record, held by Ethiopian Tiki Gelana, was set at the London 2012 Olympics. Hassan also secured medals in the 5000 and 10000-meter events at the Paris Games.
Ethiopia's Tigist Haji earned the silver medal with a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 58 seconds, while Kenya’s Helen Obiri took the bronze, finishing in 2 hours, 23 minutes, and 10 seconds. The current world record for the women’s marathon remains with Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir, who set it at 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 16 seconds in April 2024.
