Fans from Paris will be carrying Bhutan’s Kinzang Lhamo to the finish line and cheering her on in an Olympic feat… as she completed the race almost 90 MINUTES behind gold medalist Sifan Hassan

Kinzang Lhamo may have finished last in the women’s marathon, but the images of her arrival at the finish in Paris will live long in the memory.

The Bhutanese athlete is the only female athlete to be part of her country’s delegation at the 2024 Games and she carried the country’s flag during the opening ceremony.

In the scorching heat of Paris, Lhamo had to walk several times and fell far behind the rest.

Dutchman Sifan Hassan completed the course in 2:22.55, taking gold and setting a new Olympic record.

More than 55 minutes behind her nearest rival, Lhamo continued to run through the streets of the French capital, receiving a thunderous applause from her supporters as she approached the finish line.

Fans cheered Bhutan’s Kinzang Lhamo to finish the women’s marathon in Paris

Lhamo was ultimately the last competitor to cross the finish line with a time of 3:52:59

Sifan Hassan set a new Olympic record en route to gold in this event after a dramatic highlight

Television cameras captured the moment the 26-year-old approached the finish line, as fans cheered her on every step of the way.

Those camped along the side of the road drummed on the railing and cheered wildly as she approached the final stretch, before she eventually became the 80th and final athlete to cross the finish line in a time of 3:52:59.

The defining moment of Lhamo’s race immediately went viral on social media, with fans praising her determination and perseverance.

Someone wrote: ‘I think this sums up the Olympics for me… and the value of it… it’s the connection between mortals and the giants who have thrown themselves into that cauldron… what a way to end the last day… epic’

Another added: ‘Marathons are tough! These are the best runners in the world! If you’ve ever run a marathon you know the feeling. But – the running culture is second to none. This is marathon running…’

Another fan agreed: ‘The great thing about sports is that if you don’t give up, people cheer you on, even if you lose. She was the last to finish, but she decided to finish the marathon. And you see the crowd cheering her on.’

Supporters took to social media to praise Lhamo for showing the Olympic spirit in her courageous effort

Clara Evans was the highest-ranked member of Team GB on Sunday, finishing in 46th place after only being called up to the event last week due to an injury to Charlotte Purdue.

Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa took an impressive silver medal in the event, just three seconds behind Hassan, with Keyan Hellen Obiri in third place.