THE LATEST in the aches, pains & eligibility departments:
Marvin Bracy-Williams, winner of $75,000 in the Enhanced Games, got a massive 12-year WA ban for whereabouts violations. The enhanced penalty is because it was his third lifetime offense. In June, he notified USADA that he is now retired, so the 12-year ban doesn’t actually begin until he signals that he is returning to competition. He is 32, so the math doesn’t look good for a return.
Hurdler Freddie Crittenden, 4th at the ’23 Worlds and 6th at the Paris Olympics, has announced that this will be his final season of competition. He is 31.
A prep 800 sensation in ’22 with his 1:46.48, Cade Flatt has retired after finishing his eligibility at Ole Miss. He won NCAA Indoor All-America honors on the distance medley in ’23.
Josh Hoey has not raced since breaking the indoor 800 WR in January. LetsRun, while not getting confirmation from his management, has reported rumors that he has a stress injury to his lower leg.
Jonah Koech, surprise winner of the USATF 1500 last summer, is no longer training with UA Mission Run Baltimore. He hasn’t raced since last September’s World Champs, and he has gone radio silent on social media.
Ja’Kobe Tharp will forgo his final season at Auburn. The 110H WR setter has signed with adidas.
Transfer Portal Heating Up
South Carolina star JaMeesia Ford has entered the transfer portal; she injured her hamstring in the 200 heats at the NCAA.
Maurice Gleaton, who sprinted a 9.92 HSR last year, has transferred to Arkansas after seeing little action as a frosh at Georgia.
Div. III recordholder Ryan Hagan (3:37.19 PR) is transferring to Virginia Tech to work with Ben Thomas.
A 45.24 performer as a high school senior, Florida’s Jayden Horton-Mims has hit the portal after one season with the Gators. He ran 45.36i.
Kenyan Justine Kipkoech (3:32.93) is transferring from Colorado to Iowa State.
Villanova’s Marco Langon will pass on his remaining eligibility with the Wildcats and represent Diadora professionally.
The winner of the NCAA 1500 for Washington State, Rosemary Longisa has transferred to Iowa State.
All-America 400 hurdlers Isaiah & Xzaviah Taylor have transferred from North Carolina A&T to Florida.
Cordial Vann has transferred from USC to Georgia. An injury after his Mt. SAC Relays long jump win effectively ended his frosh season.
Internationally…
He hasn’t set a date yet, but Qatari high jump legend Mutaz Barshim says, “I feel like I’m definitely on the final lap of my career. Just to make sure that cherry on top, it’s tasty and shiny. The message now is legacy.”
Britain’s Molly Caudery won Rome’s vault, but a bad landing revealed a flareup of back problems. She had to have emergency spinal surgery (microdiscectomy) to remove part of a spinal disc. “And just like that, my season is over,” she revealed. Absolutely heartbroken to even be writing this, missing out on yet another major champs and home games. Emergency spinal surgery wasn’t on my 2026 bingo card. The surgery was a success and my road to recovery starts today.”
After three years away from competition, Portugal’s ’08 Olympic champion in the triple jump, Nelson Évora, has returned to competition at age 42. So far he has hit a best of 50-7¼ (15.42).
Aussie teen star Gout Gout ended his international tour early, pulling out of the Pre Classic because of back troubles. Said his agent, “Since a trip to Florida at the end of April he has had some stiffness with his back. It’s not a major injury, but there have been too many weeks of training at less than full capacity.”
Finnish vaulter Wilma Heltelä is the married name of the former Wilma Murto, the ’23 world bronze medalist.
Keely Hodgkinson admitted that her knees took a bad hit in the days leading up to her Pre loss, explaining, “It’s been a bit of a week. My knees taped up, I took a bad fall last week. Four days ago I couldn’t even walk, so I guess I should take that into consideration but I wanted a lot more than that.”
Faith Kipyegon revealed that hamstring troubles held her back in Eugene. “Since Shanghai, I’ve been dealing with a hamstring injury, but the last two weeks have been a step in the right direction. From here we keep building, step by step, towards a strong second half of the season.”
A minor not-defined injury kept Dutch standout Niels Laros from running in the Bowerman Mile.
Hurdler Aasia Laurencin of St. Lucia was forced to end her season after rupturing a tendon in her upper thigh at a meet in Spain.
Paris PV: Angelica Moser of Switzerland won but damaged a ligament in her foot on her last attempt.
Laura Muir will be running the 5000 at the Commonwealth Games, but she says her bread-and-butter is still the 1500: “Doing the 5K hopefully makes my endurance that a little bit stronger and hopefully help that 1500. The 1500 is getting tougher and tougher. The event is getting so strong now so I just want to try and be as strong as possible for these next two years.”
Though Zakithi Nene is performing at a high level of consistency (the slowest of the South African’s six 400s this season is 44.50), he says, “I’ve been battling Achillies problems, unfortunately.”
Hellen Obiri was hampered by an Achilles issue in the lead-up to her 3rd at the New York Mini-Marathon 10K. Then 36-year-old Kenyan says she will take time off until she starts her marathon buildup in August.
British sprinter Asha Philip, a 2-time Olympic medalist in the 4×1, has retired at age 35.
Demisha Roswell, winner of the 100H at the Jamaican Champs in 12.40, was not selected for her nation’s Commonwealth squad due to an administrative oversight. After getting an official apology, she responded, “An apology does not make up for the months of hard work, dedication, sacrifice, devotion and commitment I have poured into this sport.”
New Zealand’s teen phenom, Sam Ruthe, has withdrawn from the World U20 Championships as he continues to recover from a stress fracture to his lower leg, sustained during an April soccer game.
Two-time world champion Gudaf Tsegay got a 4-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance (letrozole). She explained and produced evidence that it was prescribed to treat a diagnosed medical condition. Tsegay, who has said she is now pregnant, submitted a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) request that was granted. The ban, which expires September 30, came because she didn’t file a TUE in advance.
Doping Bans…
12 years – Marvin Bracy-Williams (United States, sprints);
8 years – Dominic Lokolong Atiol (South Sudan/Refugee Team, 1500);
7 years – Kibiwot Kandie (Kenya, distance);
4 months – Gudaf Tsegay (Ethiopia, distance). □
