Sydney Mclaughlin Reflects on Career Low

October 07, 2024

Oct 7, 2024 | Edition #34

👋 Hey, Speedsters!

Last time we checked, everything was mostly on track, well except for a few hiccups between Alexis Ohanian and Michael Johnson. But, it seems the memo for this week was 'throwback.’ While some athletes recently revealed the darkest moments from their past, others had those demons returning to haunt them!

Today, we discuss the heartbreaking story of Kenyan athlete, Celliphine Chespol. We'll also rewind to the times when Masai Russell found herself buried under Olympic pressure, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone hit rock bottom, and the all-time great Usain Bolt lost $12M in a financial scam (PS: his legal drama has re-ignited once again)

So let’s dive in!

📜 QUOTE OF THE DAY

“No matter what you're trying to do there will be noise in the market... Before the race starts, I'm already focused on the victory.”

— Sanya Richards-Ross

In today’s newsletter, we’ll uncover these top stories from Track & Field universe:

😲 Kenyan Athlete Exposes Mismanagement

🏃🏻‍♀️ Masai Russell’s Near-Quit Moment

🥺 Sydney McLaughlin Reflects on her Darkest Race

💸 Bolt's $12M Scam Controversy

 🌟 STORY OF THE DAY

U20 World Champion Exposes Disheartening Management

Kenyan athlete Celliphine Chespol has been M-I-A since 2022! Her dry spell on the tracks started right after the 2022 World Athletic Championship finals, where her 13th finish in the 3000 m steeplechase was the last anyone saw her compete. Well, once hyped as the new big name in Kenyan long-distance running, no one's forgetting her 2017 Prefontaine Classic showdown. Imagine, clocking the second-fastest time in history (8:58.78) at just 18, despite taking a tiny pause to adjust her shoe! Similarly, her 2018 World Under-20 gold.

But things started going south when injuries jinxed her fate. First, they caused her to miss the 2021 Tokyo Olympics national trials. Followed by making a rusty finish at the 2022 World Championships. What’s more, off-track complications made things worse.

Chespol's management agency, Golazo made irreversible blunders! Incomplete payments, refusing to release her beyond contract expiration, and causing her to miss 2 doping tests by deliberately misinforming the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya were some of their ghastly mistakes. There was also pressure from her former coach to re-sign with Golanzo, as they came with a Nike sponsorship of $10,000, as she exposed in 2018.

But, she lost her calm when her new management and Golazo fought to claim her! Amidst this, she had missed the Diamond League stops in Doha and Shanghai. And had to be granted special permission by the Sports Dispute Tribunal, to compete in Rome. Well, a pile-up of all these factors drove her away from the track indefinitely.

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📊 POLL OF THE DAY

Which Country Has Won the Most Medals in Olympic Track and Field Events?

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Last Poll’s Result: Whoa, talk about a nail-biter! 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️ Our latest poll on the most decorated track & field athlete in Olympic history had fans buzzing, and it came down to the wire. While Allyson Felix edged out Paavo Nurmi with a mere four-vote lead, the actual title goes to… drumroll, please… Paavo Nurmi! 🎉 With a whopping 12 Olympic medals (9 gold, 3 silver), Nurmi takes the crown, surpassing Felix’s impressive tally of 11 (7 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze). Huge props to Felix’s fans for the close call, but Nurmi holds the top spot! 🥇💪

💪🏻 HERO OF THE DAY

Masai Russell Reveals How She Almost Quit Track

"It was the first time I experienced anything like that!" Masai Russell recently revealed on the Pivot Podcast how her Olympic debut was an uphill battle. The night before her 100m hurdles finals, she got no sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, the only thing she could think of was the race and what was going to play out. She knew the margin for error was really small. Indeed, the 12 seconds of a race can make or break how the life of the athlete plays out. But, she could not let anything affect her performance, or put a whole life of training at stake.

Russell then stiffened her mind, "I am not gonna allow anything to deter me from the goal." The only thing she could visualize was her coming through the line first. Especially, as this season had admittedly been the hardest trial she ever faced. When she hit the hurdle in Budapest, causing her big 2023 World Championships upset, she thought, there had to be something on the other side of this. But with time, conditions grew daunting and she thought, "I wanted to quit." Be it the Xiamen Diamond League, the LA Grand Prix, or the Prefontaine Classic, she just could not get a top-three finish!

But she did not come this far to just come this far, right? That's when she thought, "I am not gonna stop." She realized, that if your mind is not aligned with your body and spirit, it will show on the track. And that's exactly what had been happening to her throughout the season. What's more, when she reached the Olympic stage, she experienced a big transition. Lining up against veterans made her feel stunted, experience-wise. But her hardships had given her the right foundation. And it was all a matter of execution until she got crowned the Olympic champion in 12.33 seconds!!

📽️ VIDEO VAULT

Dark Track Secrets Revealed!

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is not afraid to hold out the mirror to the world! And in her book, “Far Beyond Gold” she exposes the dark side of her journey as a track athlete. Can you imagine her forfeiting a chance to bag a national title? Well, she did that, but what were the circumstances that compelled her? Watch the video till the end to catch onto all these hidden secrets!

🏅BEYOND THE MEDALS

Sydney McLaughlin Speaks On Career’s Rock Bottom

Is there anything Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone fears? Probably nothing. Today, she's the undisputed queen of the 400m hurdles. Six world records, 4 on-the-trot Olympic golds- clearly, there's none in her league. Many may pitch Femke Bol, but she has trashed her win plans every time, not once losing her footing. But clearly, this was not the case earlier. There was a time when Sydney was challenged by her mighty compatriot, Dalilah Muhammad!

McLaughlin-Levrone revealed in her book, "Far Beyond Gold," how being defeated by Muhammad at the 2019 USATF Outdoor Track & Field Championships by 0.68 seconds, crushed her. She may have swallowed the bitter pill but wished to stage a strong comeback at the IAAF World Championships in Doha. But come the big day, her plans bit the dust once again. Despite clocking 52.23, she lost to Muhammad who was 0.07 seconds faster. Plus, the latter had set a new world record time, all of which left Sydney heartbroken.

Congratulations were in order, but she did not want them. She broke down looking at her dad and wrote, "I've never been so disappointed, so completely crushed, after a race." However, she won’t change a thing about it today, as it brought her closer to her religion. Segueing into the pandemic phase, she turned to god and leveraged the isolation time to get over the Doha heartbreak and her failed relationships. Ever since there has been no turning back! In fact, just between the 2021 Trials to the 2024 Paris one, Sydney defeated Muhammad 5-0! And the time difference between their last head-on 400m hurdle race was nearly 4 seconds!

📈TRENDING NEWS

Bolt Fires at Lawyer’s Opinion For Massive $12M Scam

The man who'd been in the driver's seat for years, suddenly finds himself powerless! Yes, we're talking about the human with the fastest legs on the planet, Usain Bolt. With 8 Olympic titles and 2 world records, could Jamaica be any prouder of this man? But 2023 started with a horror for Bolt, losing $12 million from his account with the firm Stock and Securities Limited, whom he had partnered with in 2012. However, do you know what was more shocking? The Jamaican authorities found the matter beyond their depths.  

After the scam was highlighted, Minister Nigel Clarke from the country's Financial Services Commission assured there was no need to panic. Talks of an FBI investigation also did rounds. But now, Clarke is ready to vacate his post and join the International Monetary Fund. All this while the resolution hangs in balance. Bolt's attorney, Linton Gordon informs there has been no update, and only one person, SSL's client relationships manager is charged, with Bolt's company Welljen filling a lawsuit against him.

Amidst this Bolt decided to go all cryptic, "Heart broken, so many words unspoken." Well, he had earmarked this money for his retirement days, but all he was left with was $12,000. Gordon even informed of the court's stay order, until Caydion Campbell, the SSL trustee presents a report. Amidst all this Bolt is visibly upset as he fired 4 cryptic tweets in the last 2 days. Over 13 years of gradual fraud, 200 accounts have been robbed of $3 billion by this investment company. Amidst this, what does Bolt think of the Jamaican authorities? "Them know the price of everything, but value of nothing." Bam! He is truly in the mood to fire!

📝 STORIES YOU SHOULDN’T MISS!

  1. Noah Lyles Brutally Trolled by Yu-Gi-Oh! Fans - Full Story

  2. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Revealed How Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards-Ross Fueled Her Olympics Dream Back in 2008 - Full Story

  3. Dina Asher-Smith’s Stunning Admission at the Paris Olympics Sparks Debate Among Fans - Full Story

  4. Track and Field Community Heartbroken After Sudden Demise Of 26-Year-Old Former U-20 Champion - Full Story

  5. Quincy Wilson’s Latest Decision Has Track and Field Fans Divided Over NCAA Future - Full Story

  6. Quincy Wilson’s First NCAA Trip Leads Fred Kerley to Share Heartfelt Track and Field Beginnings - 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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