The 28-year-old Dutch athlete held off Rio 2016 silver medallist and double world champion Hellen Obiri down the finishing straight after waiting until the bell to make her move, and finished in 14min 36.79sec, with the Kenyan taking another silver in 14:38.36.

Hassan is also targeting the two events in which she won world titles two years ago in Doha, the 10,000m and 1500m.

Earlier the day she fell heavily while qualifying from the 1500m heats, but showed no signs of any ill effects tonight as she remained within the main pack without doing anything remarkable until the final lap - at which point she became suddenly irresistible.

"I can't believe it," said Hassan, who left her native country of Ethiopia as a refugee and arrived in The Netherlands aged 15.

"I used all my energy this morning and I was kind of tired. 

"I couldn't believe what happened. 

"It was terrible when I tripped.

"I felt terrible afterwards and I never thought I am going to be Olympic champion.

"It has been an amazing day."

Hassan expanded: "When I fell down and had to jump up I felt like I was using so much energy. 

"I couldn't believe the feelings in my legs. 

"All the energy seemed to leave me.

"Before the race here I didn't even care. 

"I was so tired. 

"Without coffee I would never be Olympic champion!

"I needed all the caffeine.

"I was so scared I wasn't going to do it."

Obiri, meanwhile, said she was "so happy" to medal at a Games that for periods looked like they may not happen.

"The race was slow, nobody wanted to go in front," said the Kenyan.

"I know that Sifan is good over the final 400, and I tried to hold her, but there was nothing I could do.

"I am so happy because I didn't expect the Olympics to happen because of the pandemic. 

"Last year I was in very good shape, but this year I was per cent."

The other two finals on the evening session of day four of the athletics programme saw Valarie Allman of the United States earn the women’s discus title in a final that was temporarily suspended by a downpour - becoming the first Tokyo track and field gold medallist from her country - and Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali ending the Kenyan monopoly of the men’s 3,000 metres steeplechase final.

Allman won discus gold thanks to her opening throw of 68.98 metres, with Germany's Kristin Pudenz proving to be the surprise package of the final as she moved up to claim silver with a fifth-round personal best of 66.86m.

Cuba's world champion Yaime Perez took bronze with a best of 65.72m.

Meanwhile Croatia's London 2012 and Rio 2016 champion Sandra Perković  missed out on the podium by one place with a best of 65.01m.

"I am so honoured that this has been a first gold medal in Tokyo [for the US in athletics]," Allman said. 

"It is an honour, I couldn't be any happier or more proud. 

"I’m still waiting for my feet to touch the ground.”

Kenyans had won every men’s Olympic 3,000 metres steeplechase they had contested down the years, only missing out twice when they were absent from the Games, and had taken nine successive titles leading into Tokyo.

The lack of Kenyan world or Olympic champions this time round appeared to offer their perennial rivals Ethiopia the opportunity to take over the title - but El Bakkali had other ideas.

Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma, fastest qualifier and top of this season’s world lists with 8min 7.75sec, made a fast, honest race of it in the closing stages and reached the bell in pole position.

But on the back straight he was overtaken by El Bakkali who safely negotiated the final water jump and maintained his lead to the line, winning in 8:08.90.

Girma took silver in 8:10.38, with Kenya’s Benjamin Kigen earning bronze in 8:11.45.

After taking world silver in 2017 and world bronze in 2019, El Bakkali now has the best gold available.

"I am so used to seeing Kenyans win, it's a big accomplishment for me," El Bakkali said.

"I have been aiming for this for years and this was my opportunity to show that Morocco is capable of winning this prize in front of the Kenyans. 

"I have been thinking about being more confident, working on my self-confidence and also trusting that I can win. 

"I have tried so many times to compare myself with the Kenyans and Ethiopians to see whether I could reach this gold, and I did."