The Paris Olympics might be over, but its controversial moments are far from! While the 33rd Olympics saw some truly history-making moments over the past weeks, it was also wrought with debatable issues, that raised several eyebrows across the world. Among these, Dutch runner Sifan Hassan‘s gold in the women’s Marathon was among the most talked-about topics from the French capital, and the pot just got another stirring.

The 31-year-old middle-distance runner won the event after setting a new world record as she completed the Marathon by clocking 2:22.55 and beating Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa. However, Assefa seems to think things could have been very different if not for the scenes that unfolded near the end of the iconic race.

Sifan Hassan’s opponent is having a hard time swallowing the pill

Assefa and Hassan were seen exchanging elbows just 150 meters from the finish line in the women’s marathon on the last day of the Paris Games. However, with Sifan Hassan pulling off an unforgettable win to close the quadrennial event on a high note, it seems her Ethiopian opponent still harbors doubts about what the outcome could have been in the City of Love. A recent post by Citius Mag on X shared the skepticism of the 2023 Berlin Marathon winner with fans, sparking further discussion.

Captioned, “The plot thickens,” the post notes how Tigst believes her colleague’s actions were somewhat questionable. “Tigst Assefa shared that had she not been pushed by Sifan Hassan in the final 400m of the Olympic marathon, she may have won gold,” writes the post further before narrating the former’s comments from the post-race press conference.

“I didn’t expect that moment that happened…maybe if that moment she didn’t push me, I might have the gold,” a sense of heartbreak could be detected in Assefa’s words, and considering how she was just three seconds slow to the ultimate prize, her sadness isn’t misplaced either. However, Tigst isn’t one to hold grudges, and she expresses her joy for Hassan’s gold with sincerity. However, while it looks like the first step to reconciliation between these athletes has already been taken, many more controversies from the Paris Olympics are yet to be laid to rest.

Moments from the Paris Olympics that split the fans

The women’s 5,000m race was another event that saw chaos erupt during the final stretches. A clash between the iconic Kenyan athlete Faith Kipyegon and Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay saw the former being handed an unexpected disqualification verdict after the completion of the race. Naturally, the three-time Olympic gold medalist was stunned by the directive and was spotted at the mixed zone in tears. However, the result was overturned later and Kipyegon was awarded the silver after her time of 14:29.60 was accepted as a legitimate finish.

Swimming star Luke Greenbank of Great Britain was disqualified from the men’s 200m backstroke heat after it was revealed that he had exceeded the underwater 15m mark, a lesser-known rule in the sport. However, the most controversial issue from the recently concluded Olympics undoubtedly centers around the fiasco between USA’s iconic gymnast Jordan Chiles and Romania’s Ana Barbosu. Five days after Chiles won bronze in the women’s floor exercise, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ordered her to return her medal, ruling that the inquiry which awarded her extra points was raised beyond the designated time period. Fans argue that the inquiry was necessary due to an initial judging error, and they are calling for reconsideration. However, such a reversal seems unlikely.

Did you also keep a close eye on everything at the biggest sporting event of the year? Which moment was your favorite? Tell us below!