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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Fulfills 6YR-Old's Wish
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Sep 30, 2024 | Edition #31
👋 Hey, Speedsters!
Events may come and go, but track and field stories are always rolling in. A lot has happened since we gave you the Athlos NYC recap last time. Picture this: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the 400m hurdles know-it-all turned guru for a six-year-old recently. And in a world full of flaws, Junelle Bromfield unveiled one of Noah Lyles' imperfections. Guess he hasn't championed everything after all!
In other news, the track and field community was left deeply saddened by the passing of an athlete at 23. While they gathered to grieve her demise, the alarming rise in the number of young athlete deaths does not go unnoticed in our minds.
So let’s dive in!
📜 QUOTE OF THE DAY
“You learn as much from those who have failed as from those who have succeeded.”
— Michael Johnson
In today’s newsletter, we’ll uncover these top stories from Track & Field universe:
💖 Sydney shares track tips with 6-year-old track runner
⚱️ Community Mourns the Loss of 23-Year-Old Local Athlete
🤫 Junelle Bromfield Spills the Tea on Noah Lyles
🎊 Ethiopians Steal the Spotlight at Berlin Marathon
📰 TRENDING NEWS
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Fulfils 6-Year-Old's Wish
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone may be a natural—but one mantra gives her the edge. She spilled the beans on the Jennifer Hudson Show recently, while presenting a medal to America's fastest six-year-old, Alaya Armbrister. When the enthusiast inquired into Sydney's 400m strategy, she shared, "Well, you want to get out that first 100 really hard and maintain down the backstretch, right? So you get into a good pace and maintain until 200." The 250m mark is a sign to kick again for the last 100. But in the final 50, (when the lactic acid hits) you just maintain form.
Interestingly, the 400m is not her main event. Although, she is an integral part of America's 4x400m relay quartets and has managed to clock the 12th fastest 400m time ever (48.74 seconds). Thus, her strategy seems to work in real time. Luckily, its breakdown is hardly as complex as the 400 hurdles—where 22 strong strides get her to the first hurdle at 45m. Next, 14 steps to cover the 35 meters between the 10 successive hurdles, and 5.15 seconds for the final 40-meter sprint to the finish line—that’s how intricate it is!
Interestingly, Sydney's 400m strategy seems a simpler version of what veterans like Sanya Richards followed. The latter pillared her 400-meter strategy on the 5 P's—Push, Pace, Position, Poise, and Pray. But, in the end, it's each to its own, just like Sydney advised Alaya that all athletes progress differently.
📊 POLL OF THE DAY
Would You Buy Apparel If Stars Like Noah Lyles, Usain Bolt & Others Launch Their Own Brands? |
Last Poll’s Result: Athlos NYC 2024 Poll Results are in! 🏅 And It was a tight race! A whopping 53.3% of you tuned in live and declared: "Yes, and it was EPIC!" 🎉 The rest, 46.7%, are saving the action for later, voting "No, but it's on my watchlist" 📺—we see you, binge-watchers!
🫡 TRIBUTE TO
23-Year-Old's Tragic Death Leaves Track And Field Community Heartbroken
Spectators usually throng Fresno's Veterans Memorial Stadium for exciting sports action. But this Friday, it was for bidding farewell to one of their own. Shelby Daniele, a 23-year-old local athlete, and California Polytechnic State University's 2023 graduate was no more. A six-time All-Big West honoree, she was a team captain and had two Big West Championship titles. But none of that measured up to the wonderful person she was.
The University’s track and field Instagram account shared a heartfelt tribute in her memory, joined by fellow athlete Eva Brandenburg’s father, Brian Brandenburg. In his touching note, Brian credited Shelby as the very reason Eva fell in love with the sport, revealing that she tragically passed away due to a brain aneurysm. The outpouring of grief didn’t stop there. Shelby’s former coach from Buchanan High School, Brian Weaver, also paid homage, praising her as an inspiring role model who "mentored countless athletes and kept them pushing forward when times were tough."
The heartbreaking news of her death got Netflix's The Circle star, Kevin Fernandez to write that she was the most dedicated and hardworking person on the program. Also, while wishing for her soul to rest in peace, her teammates continued voicing how she was an inspiration and an amazing human. Well, Shelby had an entire life ahead of her—which per coach Weaver, "she lived to the fullest"—but when she ran the 200 meters on 23rd May, at the NCAA Division I West First Rounds, who knew it would be her last…
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📽️ VIDEO VAULT
Greatest Moment In Long Jump History!
If any of you’ll remember, 2007 was one of the best seasons for Irving Saladino, the mighty long jumper who had been undefeated. But at the Osaka World Championships, he came as close as 1 centimeter to losing out on the gold. Imagine how agonisingly close that would have been. But moments after the opponent ‘DRAMATICALLY’ celebrated, Saladino twisted the tables. In the end, who won? Hop on and watch the video till the end to know!
🔦 SPOTLIGHT
Junelle Bromfield Reveals Noah Lyles' Flaw
Noah Lyles’ comment about Junelle Bromfield feeding him secrets from the MVP camp was destructive. Nothing could reverse the damage it did— not even Lyles calling her a survivor or wanting to give her flowers for fighting through. From being labeled a ‘traitor’ to getting serious threats, it just kept getting uglier for Junelle. However, she always had Lyles' mother, Keisha Cane in her corner. "Come live with us," she gave Junelle a loving and rent-free abode with them in their hometown. To keep her close to the memories of her home, Keisha even got Junelle her own mango sapling!
In the meantime, Noah Lyles and his sister, Abby turned to motor driving tutors for Junelle. "Noah was bad at it, but they (Noah and Abby) taught me how to drive and everything." Well, Noah might not be a perfectionist behind the wheel, but he seems the ideal boyfriend who got Junelle a $45k car after she got her license. Also, he's already a master of many trades— athletics, rapping, fashion— the list can just go on.
Also, let's not miss how he's a mental health advocate. Junelle stated on the Sim Soul Sessions' podcast that Lyles is a ‘very very’ supportive boyfriend and is big on mental health. Thus, she's definitely not crying to sleep at night. But, Noah Lyles sure shed a tear, having left the floor midway during the interview, when Junelle was speaking about the hatred she'd been getting.
🔎 THROUGH THE LENS
Ethiopians Sweep Berlin Marathon
On a perfect sunny day in the German capital, the Berlin Marathon races flagged off their golden jubilee edition. However, for the first time since 2014, either of two stars, Eliud Kipchoge or Kenenisa Bekele were absent from the lineup of 58,212 registered runners. The void was palpable. But as they say, ‘the show must go on.’
Well, it did as Ethiopia's Milkesa Mengesha clocked 2:03.17 to claim the title, restricting Cybrian Kotut from restoring Kenya's legacy in the final kilometer. Whereas, Tigist Ketema who finished in 2:11.53 was an unchallenged winner in the women's race, having led solo for quite a stretch. Notably, Ketema and Mengesha mark the seventh all-Ethiopian podium sweep in the event. The last one came in 2021 courtesy of Guye Adola and Gotytom Gebreslase.
But as Kipchoge watched the race from the comfort of Eldoret, he knew the only way he could have been in Berlin was as a support or a past winner. Although he has resumed training, the Paris Olympics horror, where he dropped out of a marathon for the first time ever and failed to complete his three-peat, still looms like a dark shadow. But, nothing can alter the reality that he still holds the men's record from 2022, set at 2:01.09, has won 5x Berlin Marathon titles (the most on record), and is the undisputed master of the course.
📝 STORIES YOU SHOULDN’T MISS!
Mourning 23-Year-Old Champion, Cal Poly Coach Reveals Shelby Daniele’s Last Help - Full Story
Real Cause Behind Cal Poly’s Shelby Daniele’s Unfortunate Death Revealed - Full Story
Alexis Ohanian Promises Another Track & Field Success After Athlos NYC’s Historic Debut - Full Story
Jakob Ingebrigtsen Lashes Out at Rival Josh Kerr in an Angry Rant - Full Story
Junelle Bromfield Reveals How She Felt Crushed by the World - Full Story
That’s it for today, folks! We’ll look to knock on your inbox soon with more interesting stories!
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