Clean Sport Collective

In this episode, we bring you part two of our two-part interview with US marathon legend Frank Shorter. As a reminder, Frank Shorter is the only American to win two Olympic medals for the marathon distance earning gold in 1972 in Munich and silver in 1976 in Montreal.

In this discussion with Chris and Kara, we pick up where we left off last time and hear additional stories on the early days of USADA and Frank's role in it from the early Balco scandal to the Lance Armstrong case. We also learn the behind-the-scenes story on why Frank stepped away from his active role with USADA in 2003.

From there, we fast forward to today to understand Frank's perspective on several recent topics in the sport of running including the Alberto Salazar suspension, the heartbreaking Mary Cain allegations against Salazar and the Oregon Project from this week, and of course, the great shoe debate of recent weeks.

Frank's perspective is invaluable as someone with a long and unique history in our sport.

For reference, here is the video op-ed from the NY Times with Mary Cain:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/07/opinion/nike-running-mary-cain.html

Having read the episode title, some of you may already be skeptical to listen to this one. If you aren't a CrossFit fan or athlete, then you might wonder how you might relate to Camille's story. Well, we are here to insist that you will. While her chosen activity might be different than yours, the details of her journey as a CrossFit Games champion (and 4-time top 10 finisher) are very much relatable.

If you have ever been bullied, then you can relate to Camille. If you are a woman who has felt that you didn't have a place to compete and perform that was uniquely supportive, then you can relate to Camille. If you later found your community, then you can relate to Camille. If you've ever had to balance getting your degree or perhaps working full-time while also trying to be your best in sport, then you can relate to Camille. If you love to work hard and suffer, then you can relate to Camille. If you've ever been afraid to succeed (or fail), then you can relate to Camille. If you've ever had people question you or your results, then you can relate to Camille. If you fancy yourself a badass, then you are more like Camille than you think.

If any of the above resonates, then give this one a listen as Shanna and Chris lead the interview to learn more about Camille's journey, while also getting her perspective on clean sport in CrossFit and beyond.

In this episode, we switch gears from talking about the unfair advantage created by the use of performance enhancing drugs to potential unfair advantage created by the use of performance enhancing footwear.

Host Chris McClung leads a panel discussion with Kara Goucher, Alex Hutchinson, and Ryan Hall to discuss the implications of shoe technology in light of recent performances by Eliud Kipchoge (who broke 2 hours in the marathon) and Brigid Kosgei (who now owns the world record in the marathon for women). Kara Goucher (@karagoucher), of course, is co-host of the show and is an elite-level US distance runner who competed in the Olympics twice for the US at the 10,000 meter and marathon distances. She owns a silver medal from the World Championships in the 10,000 meters and has finished 3rd place at both the NYC and Boston Marathons. Alex Hutchinson (@sweatscience) earned his PhD in Physics from the University of Cambridge, and has been writing his Sweat Science column for over 10 years exploring the science behind running and performance. Previously with Runner's World and now with Outside magazine, he continues his pursuit of the truth on the science of sport. In Alex's recent book - Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance - he also covered Eliud Kipchoge's first attempt to break the 2 hour barrier in the marathon. Ryan Hall (@ryanhall3) is a two-time Olympian and the fastest ever US marathoner with a PR of 2:04:58 and also the current US half marathon record holder. He also now the coach of his wife Sara Hall who just ran a marathon PR of 2:22 at Berlin and who will be competing to earn a spot on the Olympic Marathon team in Atlanta next February. As an Asics athlete, Sara is potentially disadvantaged by not having access to the same shoe technology that facilitated these recent breakthrough performances. In this discussion, we get reactions from all of the panelists on the performances of Kipchoge and Kosgei and the shoes that led to them, plus talk about what should be done (or not) to regulate this technology in order to level the playing field. This is a complicated topic that requires leadership and transparency from the IAAF, and we appreciate the level-headed and balanced discussion from Kara, Alex, and Ryan.

In a move that might surprise you, we bring on Tyler Hamilton for episode #16. Tyler Hamilton is a former cyclist who received two doping bans while competing and then would eventually be compelled to testify against Lance Armstrong in the federal case against him.

Tyler started his sporting career as a ski racer until a freak back injury ended his skiing career. After the injury, he turned to cycling and quickly began a rapid and unexpected rise to become a professional cyclist. Racing in Europe for the first time, he quickly became indoctrinated in the doping culture, taking a red testosterone pill after a race in 1997 which led to much bigger and darker decisions down the road.

Tyler would go on to be one of Lance's support riders in 3 of his Tour de France wins, then lead his own Tour teams and win an Olympic gold medal, all while continuously upping the stakes with his use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) and techniques.

Shanna and Kara interview Tyler to talk about his story from what he was thinking when he first crossed the line with PEDs to what it was like to come clean and break the omertá, cycling's unwritten code of silence.

In this interview, you will hear the very human story of a good person who made many bad choices and who is now trying to make amends by educating the next generation with the truth. Telling the truth has not always been easy or convenient for Tyler, but we are very thankful that he shared his story with us.

You can read more about Tyler's story in his book - The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-ups, and Winning at All Costs.

In this episode, we bring you part one of a two-part interview with US marathon legend Frank Shorter. Frank Shorter is the only American to win two Olympic medals for the marathon distance earning gold in 1972 in Munich and silver in 1976 in Montreal. Sadly, in 1976 he was robbed of a second gold medal moment when he was beaten by East German runner Waldemar Cierpinski who would later be directly linked to a state-sponsored doping program. Frank's marathon successes sparked the marathon movement here in the US as thousands of everyday runners flocked to cover the 26.2 mile distance. Frank would go on to earn a law degree at the University of Florida and become an integral part of the professionalization of track and field including negotiation of some of the very first sponsorship deals. Then in the late 1990's, Frank helped develop the vision for and lead the formation of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) where he served as Chairman from 2000-2003. In this interview, Kara and Chris chat with Frank about his beginnings as a marathoner and how training then differed dramatically from training now. In addition, Frank shares stories of his Olympic experiences including what it was like to get beat in 1976 by a suspiciously unknown runner who just seemed to effortlessly glide away. Finally, don't miss the conclusion of the podcast where Frank shares an unbelievable story about the formation of USADA and the near-perfect combination of events and personalities (including President Bill Clinton) that made it happen. Stay tuned for part two of the interview that will be released in several weeks.

Last Monday September 30th, USADA announced a 4-year ban for Albert Salazar and Dr. Jeffrey Brown for doping violations associated with their work within the Nike Oregon Project. In this interview with Chris McClung, Kara and Adam Goucher tell the story of their 6-year journey to support USADA's case. Kara is a co-host for the Clean Sport Collective podcast, and Adam shared his perspective on the fight for clean sport in episode #9. Both Olympians, they know what it is like to compete at the highest levels in track and field while also being robbed of achievement by drug cheats. In 2011, everything changed for them when they realized their own coach and training group were participating in suspicious activity. Neither could have suspected the extreme challenges that would come from simply telling the truth. In this discussion with Kara and Adam, we talk about all of those challenges and the implications of this decision on the fight for clean sport, including: - Their initial reactions to the Salazar and Brown decisions - Their perspectives on the reactions of others including Nike - When they first saw suspicious activity within the Nike Oregon Project and why they decided to come forward - What life is like as a whistleblower and what it was like to testify in this case, including the stress and impact on their own family - Their reactions to those who would question Kara's own intentions or integrity or accuse her of cheating herself - What she would like to see happen with the Nike Oregon Project and its athletes - What consumers can do to support the fight for clean sport in the wake of these decisions - What this means for their future and the future of clean sport This is a powerful interview about a very difficult journey for Adam and Kara. As an organization that is passionate about clean sport, we are proud to have them on our team and especially proud that their commitment to telling the truth led to this victory for clean sport. Details of each decision from USADA: https://www.usada.org/wp-content/uploads/Salazar-AAA-Decision-1.pdf https://www.usada.org/wp-content/uploads/Jeffrey-Brown-FINAL-AA-Award.pdf Other recent interviews with Kara on these decisions: NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/06/sports/salazar-doping-nike-oregon-project.html BBC: https://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/49951671 Women's Running: https://www.womensrunning.com/2019/10/news/goucher-on-alberto-salazar-doping-violations_103148

With this week's episode, we switch gears from interviewing athletes to interviewing a journalist. Kara, Chris and Shanna are joined by Bonnie Ford to discuss doping and the pursuit of clean sport.

Bonnie is a senior writer with ESPN who covers cycling, Olympics sports, tennis, soccer, and a host of other sports. She has covered more than 14 Tours de France including the Lance Armstrong and Chris Froome doping cases. In addition, she has interviewed anti-doping whistleblowers, including Floyd Landis, Yuliya and Vitaly Stepanova, and Kara herself.

With Bonnie, we cover a range of topics including her first exposure to doping in sport, what it was like to cover cycling during the Armstrong era, what she believes athletes can do to stand up on this topic, and how fans can remain hopeful in the fight against doping.

Bonnie's perspective on this topic is objective, deep, and insightful. We need more journalists like her who are willing to ask the hard questions while covering this topic thoroughly and with regularity.

With this week's episode, we follow one badass female track field athlete with another. Chris and Kara interview mom and 800m specialist Alysia Montaño (@alysiamontano) in a wide-ranging and emotional interview.

Alysia is a 6-time US Champion in the 800 and also owns 3 Bronze medals from 3 different World Championships. Unfortunately, 2 of those medals came via "medal upgrade" after drug cheat Mariya Savinova was convicted of doping violations. Alysia is finally due to receive those medals in a medal ceremony coming up next week at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.

In the interview, Alysia discusses the numerous challenges she has faced in track and field in spite of her success, including a contract pay reduction after only 1 year as a pro, competing against and being "robbed" by drug cheats, having her pay suspended during and after pregnancy, and the 6 and 9-year wait to finally receive the medals she earned in 2011 and 2013.

Alysia talks about how the IAAF and the other powers-that-be in this sport have let her down and the trauma that it has caused her financially and emotionally. She also provides her perspective on what needs to change to protect clean athletes and female athletes who decide to start a family (#dreammaternity).

Alysia is real, honest, and brave in sharing her truth. Her story provides powerful perspective on why we need to elevate her voice for the sake of protecting current and future athletes from the challenges she has faced.

Allyson Felix (@allysonfelix) should need no introduction. She is the most decorated track athlete of all-time, male or female, with 26 global championship medals. As a sprinter who focuses on the 200m, 400m, and relay events, she has won 18 gold medals including gold medals at 3 different Olympic Games (2008, 2012, 2016). She has won the Jesse Owens Award given to the top USATF athlete each year a record 5 times. Off the track, Allyson is active in advocating for women and youth sports and serves on the Right to Play Board of Directors.

In this episode, we begin with a quick introduction on her background in sport and then dive into two topics on which Allyson's voice is so important: maternity rights and clean sport. She discusses how being a mom has motivated her to speak out on topics such as these. She provides her thoughts on what more can be done to protect female athletes during and after their pregnancies. In addition, we talk about the current culture within sprinting regarding the use of performance-enhancing drugs and what more can be done to create a level playing field. She also gives her perspective on the Christian Coleman case and why missing a drug test is such a big deal, including a story about her one and only missed test while taking an exam at USC. At the end, we discuss Allyson's new sponsorship deal with Athleta and what she is doing to try to make another Olympic team in Toyko 2020. We want to thank Allyson for her strong and clear perspectives on these two very important topics and for her willingness to use her voice. We need more athletes like Allyson who are willing to speak out. Check out this link for Allyson's op-ed in the NY times on maternity rights and her contract dispute with Nike, her former sponsor: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/opinion/allyson-felix-pregnancy-nike.html

In this episode, we take a break from interviews to engage in a roundtable discussion on current anti-doping news, including discussion of three topics:

a. The recent sanction of triathlete Lauren Goss for using a contaminated CBD cream:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2Bv7HWBxwO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

b. The public stance of swimmer Mack Horton who refused to stand on the podium with an alleged doper:

https://people.com/sports/mack-horton-sun-yang-rivalry/

c. The recent case of top US 100m sprinter Christian Coleman in which he missed 3 drug tests in 12 months but has been allowed to continue competing:

https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2019/09/02/christian-coleman-cleared-in-drug-testing-case/

It is our hope that this discussion will not only educate you on anti-doping news but also help shape your perspective as well. Whether you agree or disagree, we would love for you to engage in the discussion with us @cleansportco on instagram or twitter.