THE LATEST in the aches, pains & eligibility departments:
Life as a pro has so far been challenging for Tyler Day. The American collegiate recordholder for Northern Arizona in the 5000 (13:16.95) has had surgery to correct Haglund’s Deformity in his right Achilles and is expecting a year for total recovery. Now running for Hoka One One, he says, “I’ll be back.”
Bucknell javelin thrower Maura Fiamoncini, 3rd in the NCAA and 7th in the OT, says she is likely retired from throwing. After dealing with a partially torn labrum in her throwing shoulder since last fall, she says, “If I was healthy, it would definitely be a different story. At this point, I’m in so much pain after throwing for about a week.”
Australian Genevieve Gregson fell in the last water jump of the Tokyo steeple. That ruptured an Achilles, on her birthday no less.
Oregon’s Cole Hocker has turned pro, signing with Nike (see “Last Lap”).
Shelby Houlihan (see “Last Lap”) is going to launch a doping-suspension appeal with the Swiss Federal Court.
A bad back has forced the retirement of all-time marathon great Mary Keitany at age 39 (see “Last Lap”).
Tianna Madison is the name again, as the Rio LJ champ has moved on from her former married name of Bartoletta. She says we can expect to see her sprinting in the future, but “I’m 90% sure I’m retired from long jumping specifically… My body is done jumping. That I know for sure.” In the 100, she clocked a 10.96 this summer in the lead-up to the Trials.
Hofstra’s Alex Masai has turned pro and will be running for Hoka One One.
French hurdler Pascal Martinot-Lagarde ended his season prematurely with a left hamstring tear.
Kenyan distance vet Betsy Saina is expecting.
The B-test on British relayer C.J. Ujah has come back positive for two banned substances, so the case has now been referred to CAS. It seems likely that Britain will lose its 4×1 silver.
The Retirement Department…
Sprinter Nesta Carter is done at 35. His failed doping test retroactively cost Jamaica the gold medal from the ’08 Olympic 4×1, but he also won gold with WR foursomes in ’11 and ’12.
Ding Chen, the ’12 Olympic 20K walk champion, called it quits at 29 after not being selected for the Tokyo Games.
German hurdler Pamela Dutkiewicz, bronze medalist at the ’17 Worlds, has announced her retirement at 29.
If you’ve been waiting to see the Justin Gatlin retirement announcement here, he says keep waiting. “Let’s wait and see what’s in store for the new season,” says the ’04 Olympic champion (see “Last Lap”), who will be 40 next season.
2-time Swedish Olympian Erika Kinsey is gone from the high jump wars at 33.
Finland’s ’12 javelin silver medalist and 7-time World Ranker Antti Ruuskanen has retired at age 37.
Sara Slott Petersen of Denmark, the ’16 silver medalist in the 400H, has retired at 34.
The Swiss Recordholder in the 400H, Léa Sprunger has called it quits at age 31.
Doping Suspensions…
4 years — Blessing Okagbare (Nigeria, sprints);
3 years — Yousek Karan (Kuwait, 400);
2 years — Eliud Ngetich (Kenya, distance). □