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In this Hang Up and Listen Olympics Extra, Josh Levin speaks with recently retired U.S. distance runner Lauren Fleshman, touted by the New York Times as “the best American distance runner never to make an Olympic team.” They discuss Fleshman’s career, her belief that top distance runners are doping, and her fraught relationship with her former sponsor Nike. Plus, David Epstein of ProPublica explains why American hurdlers got shut out of the medals on Tuesday night.
Here are links to some of the articles and other items mentioned on the show:
- U.S. beach volleyball titan Kerri Walsh Jennings lost her first-ever Olympic match on Tuesday night.
- The Sweden women’s soccer team followed up its shootout win over the United States by beating Brazil in a shootout.
- After Sweden’s win over the U.S., goalkeeper Hope Solo called the Swedes “cowards.”
- After Sweden’s win over Brazil, Swedish goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl, who has the skin condition vitiligo, said her “enemy” was the Brazilian sun.
- Irish boxer Michael Conlon ripped amateur-boxing officials after judges ruled his Russian opponent won their quarterfinal bout.
- Jenny Simpson won the United States’ first-ever medal in the 1,500 meters.
- Retired U.S. distance runner Lauren Fleshman tweeted her congrats to Simpson, saying she believed the American’s medal would be upgraded.
- Ginzebe Dibaba’s coach was arrested on doping charges in Spain, but the Ethiopian runner says she’s “crystal clean.”
- Follow Fleshman on Twitter and check out her blog.
- The New York Times’ Lindsay Crouse wrote about Fleshman’s life after track.
- Fleshman’s Nike ad, “Objectify Me.”
- David Epstein wrote about doping accusations against the Oregon Project’s Alberto Salazar.
- Follow Epstein on Twitter and buy his book The Sports Gene.
- Aries Merritt tried to make the Rio Games after getting a kidney transplant but didn’t quite qualify.
- Kendra Harrison just broke the world record in the 100-meter hurdles, but she didn’t qualify for the Olympics.
- Josh’s after-torch: Former Olympic runner Derek Redmond tore his hamstring at the 1992 Games and became the “Olympic spirit” personified. Two years later, he won the U.K.’s Celebrity Gladiators.
Podcast production and edit by Dan Bloom and Efim Shapiro.
Our intern is Laura Wagner.
You can email us at hangup@slate.com.
