August 28, 2025 • 39 mins
Four-time U.S. heptathlon champion Anna Hall joins Sarah to talk how she got into the sport, finding the fun again after a tough 2024 season, her goals for the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo, how her pup Cross has become an integral member of her life, and their collaboration with pet food company Nulo on its "Fuel Incredible" campaign. Plus, CP3’s jersey is officially in the Chicago Sky’s rafters, Caitlin Clark’s got a signature logo, and last year’s college soccer champs are off to a tough start.
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Read Annie Costabile’s stories on the WNBA’s ongoing CBA negotiations here and here
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See the full US Open schedule here
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're warming
up to.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
The idea of le Boo boos thanks to Naomi Osaka's
custom bedazzled little monster named Billy Jean Bling.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
It's Thursday, August twenty eighth.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Then on today's show, we'll be chatting with heptatholite Anna
Hall about the upcoming Track and Field World Championships, being
mentored by Jackie Joyner Kersey, and what she thinks about
the push for women's to cal on plus serving through
a scare, Honoring a legend, Part two and the only
kind of royal proclamation we take seriously.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
It's all coming up right after this. Welcome Max Slices.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Here's what you need to know today. Let's start with
tennis and the US Open. American star Coco GoF survived
a first round scare on Tuesday, narrowly defeating Aila Tomjanovich
six four, six, seven, seven five to advance to the
second round.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
The third seeded GoF has been struggling with.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Her serve a lot over the last year, and ahead
of the US Open, she fired her coach and added
biomechanics expert Gavin McMillan to her team with the goal
of retooling the serve. It was a big change to
make heading into a Grand Slam, and it's clear there's
still a lot of work going on behind the scenes.
GoF had ten double vaults on Tuesday night, and her
serves were also much slower than they were earlier in
(01:18):
the summer, though she did have four aces on the night.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
We'll see how far GoF makes.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
It in this tournament, but she's clearly hoping to make
some changes that pay off long into the future. And
I was in the audience in the President's suite no
less for that match, and I have to tell you,
as much as the folks that I was with wanted
GoF to win, we also enjoyed the match. She was
playing so much that we kind of were hoping for
a third set. So we got what we wished for.
But I'm sure Coco hopes the next one is a
(01:43):
little bit easier. Up next for her a second round
match against Donna Beckich today. Naomi Osaka, two seed Igashfiantek,
and eight seed American Amanda Nissimova are also in action today.
We'll link to the full US Open schedule in the
show notes to the WNBA The Portland Fire has announced
the high aring Avonya. Trinovitch as a general manager ahead
of their inaugural season in twenty twenty six. Trinovich is
(02:05):
currently the president of basketball operations for a slightly older
expansion side, but not by much, the Golden State Valkyries.
Prior to that, she worked in the MNBA, including stints
with the league office and my Chicago Bulls. In a statement,
Trinovich said, quote, I am honored to join the Fire
with a vision to build the most innovative and groundbreaking
team in women's basketball.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
End quote, speaking of expansion teams.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Per friend of the show, Annie Costable, a front office sports,
the chances of the WNBA and its players agreeing to
a new collective bargaining agreement by the October thirty first
deadline is looking increasingly unlikely, and that could have a
big impact on the timing and protocols for the offseason's
expansion draft. We've got both the Portland Fire and Toronto
Tempo slated to begin play next season, and the league
(02:47):
is expected to hold an expansion draft during the winter,
in which those two franchises will be able to start
building out their rosters. For example, I had a last
year's expansion draft in December. Each WNBA team could protect
up to six players, and the Golden State Valkyries were
then allowed to select one unprotected player from each team.
But because the league's collect a Bargaining Agreement dictates the
rules for both the expansion draft process as well as
(03:10):
free agency, which typically begins in February, both sides need
to come to an agreement before any of those things
can happen. In a statement to Front Office Sports, WNBPA
executive director Terry Jackson said, quote, as we approach this
sixty day mark, the league's lack of urgency leaves players
wondering if it is focused on making this work or
just running out the clock. Fans do not want that
(03:31):
they are with the players in demanding a new standard
for the w end quote. If you want to learn
more about the negotiation process, we'll link to two of
Annie's recent stories in the show notes More hoops. The
Minnesota Timberwolves and Links announced the hiring of Matthew Caldwell
as CEO of both teams on Wednesday. Caldwell previously served
as president of the NHL's Florida Panthers for the last decade,
(03:52):
a tenure that included back to back Stanley Cup wins
in twenty twenty four and twenty twenty five. Caldwell's hiring
marks the first major move by Timberwolves and Links owner
Mark Laura and Alex Rodriguez, who assumed majority ownership of
both franchises in June. In a press release, the club
said Caldwell's ten year contract quote sets the stage for
the Timberwolves and Links to thrive well into the future.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
End quote.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
More WNBA and another ALYSSA triple double Thomas record to
tell you about. The Mercury forward recorded her seventh triple
double of the season on Tuesday, putting up twelve points,
sixteen rebounds, and fifteen assists in a ninety two to
eighty four win over the Los Angeles Sparks. Number seven
breaks Thomas's own single season triple double record, and it
marks the eighteenth triple double of her career. Just a reminder,
(04:36):
that's fourteen more than number two on the list, Sabrina Escu,
who has four triple doubles in her career.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
More hoops.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Nike announced that Caitlin Clark is the brand's newest signature athlete,
meaning Clark gets her own signature logo, a collection of
apparel bearing said logo, and a long awaited signature sneaker.
Nike said the signature shoe and apparel collections will launch
next year, while her logo was unveiled as part of
the announcement and feature two interlocking seas. The Indiana Fever
celebrated the launch at Tuesday's game, a ninety five to
(05:05):
seventy five thrashing of the Seattle Storm at Gainbridge Fieldhouse,
by giving every fan in attendance a Caitlin Was Here
t shirt featuring the CC logo. According to a release
from Nike, the interlocking seas are meant to reflect Clark's
connection to her fans, with the smaller sea representing quote
how Caitlyn's game was built from the inside out, a
product of her passion for the sport, relentless drive, and
constant pursuit of perfection end quote. The logo kind of
(05:29):
gives off Coco Chanelle vibes, except with both seas facing
in the same direction. We'll link to the logo in
the show notes. Seek it take a look for yourself
to the ice. On Monday, we welcomed Michelle Leflomm to
preview the inaugural women's Pair of ice Hockey World Championship,
and the action officially got underway on Tuesday, with Team
USA opening its tournament with an eight to nothing victory
over Australia. American Kelsey de Claudio netted the first ever
(05:52):
goal in tournament history. Team Canada opened with a big
win as well, defeating Team World ten nothing. The group's
stage round continues through today, with the semi finals on
Saturday and the Golden bronze medal games on Sunday. You
can check the show notes for a link to the
Paralympic YouTube page where you can stream every game. And
if you missed that conversation with Michelle from earlier this week,
go back and listen to the episode to learn more
(06:12):
about why this tournament is a huge step forward for
the sport of women's.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Para ice hockey.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
In college soccer, last year's national champions and this year's
preseason favorites, the UNC tar Heels are off to a
tough start with their opening loss to Tennessee. They became
the first defending College Cup winners to lose their opener
since two thousand and two, and a loss to Georgia
a week later dropped them to two and two on
the season, setting them all the way down to number
twenty two in the United Soccer Coaches rankings. Stanford is
(06:41):
the new number one in the country, having won their
first four games. Finally, in golf, the FM Championship teas
off today at TPC Boston and Norton, Massachusetts, with a
four point one million dollar perse on the line, the
largest on the tour outside of the majors. This is
just the second year of this stop on the tour,
but the best of the best will be in attendance,
as third of the world's top forty ranked players are
(07:02):
scheduled to compete. You can watch starting at two pm
Eastern today live on the Golf Channel. All Right Selicis,
as Big Citrus discussed on Tuesday show. We're officially in
WNBA end of season awards consideration season, which means teams
are starting to make a case for their athletes, and
that includes the Seattle Storm, who issued a quote unquote
royal proclamation on social media saying quote here ye hear yee,
(07:26):
loyal WNBA fans and media, By decree of the Crown,
we hereby issue this most noble proclamation in support of
Madam President neco Ugumkay for Most Valuable Player and First
Team All WNBA.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
The decree went on to make the case.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
For other Storm players for each of the end of
season player awards, including Gabby Williams as Defensive Player of
the Year and Erica Wheeler for Most Improved Player. These
types of campaigns have become the norm for WNBA teams,
so it's likely we're going to see more of this
in the next couple weeks. The Las Vegas Aces recently
set members of the media a four your consideration announcement
for Asia Wilson as MVP and Defensive Player of the Year,
(08:04):
and the Minnesota Links recently hinted at what's to come
by putting the phone number six one to two MVP
fee on their press release about Nafisa Collier's return. We
actually tried calling the number, and we had about as
much success as we did when trying to return a
call to Cooper's groomer a few weeks ago. But we
have a feeling the Links have a much larger campaign
on the way, so maybe we'll try that number again
(08:26):
in a few days. We got to take a quick
break when we come back, I talk running, jumping, and
throwing with heptathlete and a Hall joining us now she's
one of the best athletes on the planet. She's tied
for second all time in the heptathlon, trailing only the
(08:47):
greatest of all time, Jackie Joyner Cursey, and earlier this summer,
she won her fourth consecutive US title in the event.
She's won two World Championship medals, silver in twenty twenty
three and bronze in twenty twenty two, and made her
Olympic debut at last summer's Paris Games. A former Georgia
Bulldog and Florida Gator, she won NCAA titles in both
the indoor pentathlon and the outdoor heptathlon. Date nights with
her NFL boo include Mario Kart competitions, and she's got
(09:10):
a whole phone full of pics of her pop cross.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
It's Anna Hall.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Hi, Anna, Hello, that was quite the intro. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
I'm so excited to talk to you because this is
like episode three hundred something whatever, and this is the
first time I'm getting to chat with a fellow heptathlete.
I was a college tipt athlete and I am obsessed
with the event and with the people who do it,
and I understand as anyone smart showed that appta athletes
and decathletes are the best athletes on the planet. I
want to talk about how you got started in Maultai's
(09:37):
Can you tell everyone the seven events and whether you
acquired the meach one by one or had a feeling
early on you might do it.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
The seven events are one hundred hurdles, high jump, shot
put in the two hundred, and that's all on day one,
and on day two we do long jump, javelin, and
then we end with the lovely eight hundred meters. I
turned into a heptathlete honestly out of like stubbornness. When
I started track, I did high jump and fifteen hundred
(10:08):
and I told my parents like, I want to go
to the Olympics in both and I never wanted to
quit either. But the training for those doesn't go together
at all, so everyone was like, Okay, you're gonna have
to pick at some point, and I didn't want to.
So my dad was a decathlete, so he was like,
why don't you just try like one of these events,
(10:30):
and I try to pentathlon. I think at that age
it was, and I knew, right.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
What age was this? That was what I was gonna do.
I was maybe.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Twelve, Yeah, okay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Your dad being at Catholete certainly helps.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
When I was in high school, I did discus, long jump,
triple jump, high jump, and one hundred meter hurdles. And
my coach was a college to cathlete, so it was
the same thing. He was like, I'm gonna borrow a
javelin from a school nearby and see if you like it,
And that's how I got hooked on it. You mentioned
your dad, he and your two older sisters all went
to Michigan. Yes, how much of a recruitment did you
(11:05):
get not just from the school but from your family
to continue the tradition a ton?
Speaker 3 (11:10):
I think actually at the beginning of my recruiting process,
some other coaches just assumed I was going to go
to Michigan. So there were a few coaches where I'm like,
I thought we would have talked by now, and They're like, oh,
we just thought you were going to Michigan, and I
was like, no, Like, I'm going to decide on my own.
I know they would have loved for me to go,
but my dad did make it very clear, like he
(11:30):
was like, this is your decision, and like we're proud
of you whatever you choose. They just wanted me to
factor in the academics a little bit, so I did
my best to navigate that.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
So you were a tremendous athlete and all the different events,
but you've run a lot of open four hundred meters,
including recently at the twenty twenty five Grand Slam Track
event in Miami just this past May, you were runner
up to Sydney McLaughlin.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Not a bad person to come in second to.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Has there been a moment recently or way back when
where you ever considered competing in more open events outside
of the multis or even where a coach tried to
talk you out of maultize to focus on individuals.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Definitely some moments where coaches tried, I think, especially in
high school. It's funny I ran the three hundred hurdles.
It was in high school and there was a school
I don't name it, I guess, but the coach is there,
Like I was getting recruited by the multi coach and
then their hurdle coach reached out and was like trying
to recruit me for the foreigner hurdles, and I was like,
(12:31):
I was already talking to you guys like for the Multai,
and they didn't realize I was the same person.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
And then that coach was like, we can make you
a great foreigner hurdler, like you should drop the Multai
and I was like, oh, like, I love the foreigner
hurdles and I'd love to see what I could do there.
But like, Sydney's absolutely dominating that, and I think my
ceiling is a heptathlete as much higher, so I'll stick here.
But I definitely like my side quests.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
I mean, your second all time in the history of
the events, so I would say it's going pretty well
for you and maybe something to stick with. But it's
so funny because hearing you say the side quest, I
literally compare my life to the ptathlon. I always say
jack of all trades, master of none. I have life fomo.
I don't want to have to choose one thing or
even a couple. I want to do all the things.
(13:16):
I want to do all the events. I want to
go to all the places, read all the books, do
all the jobs, see all the things like and it
feels like it's a quality like a character. And I
also feel like for training and practice, I really enjoyed
that on any given day, I could be working in
plios for the jumps, or I could be working on throws,
or I could be doing sprints. I never understood the
people who could just train over and over at the
same thing. Is that a part of the joy of
(13:39):
doing multis for.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
You as well?
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Definitely a little bit. I think high jump is like
my favorite event overall, and so like, if I had
to pick one, it would be that. But I also
think I would drive myself insane high jumping every single
day because like I mean, you know how hydrind practice is,
like you're knocking the bar off over and over and
over and over again and various by hitting it with
vario different parts, and I think I think that would
(14:02):
drive me insane. So I have a lot of respect
for people that do that every day. But I love
training for everything and I get that same fomo that
you're talking about. And that's why I was like, oh,
Grand slams here, I want to run Diamond League. I
want to run because I just was like, I don't
want to be left out of any part of track.
I want to make sure that I've dabbled and got
(14:23):
to experience everything.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
One of the unique things about the Maltize is there's
different shoes for almost every single event. So tell folks
how much equipment you're traveling with, and in particular, how
many different shoes you need to have at the ready.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Yes, it is a lot of equipment. I never travel light.
I don't travel light anyway, so doing the multnsn't help
at all. I think I use, I think I might
only Yeah, I only use five pairs of shoes because
I ended up now I use the same pair for
the two hundred and the eight hundred. But yeah, it's
(14:57):
a different spike for every single event. And I am superstitious,
and there're chertain events where I have to race in
a fresh pair, so that means bringing two of those
pairs any competition. I travel at the shop, put a javelin,
and then you know, any food and snacks you might need,
and all the uniforms and then all your girls stuff,
So the bags get pretty heavy.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Javelin is a checked item. Unfortunately, they do not let
you carry on with a javelin.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
They don't. Yeah, I've even got stopped for the shot.
Put a couple of times. I'm not really sure if
I'm supposed to carry that on, but I have.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Yeah, they definitely have to take it out and swipe
it with that thing like a candle. Yeah, one of
the Junior Olympics or National champions I can't remember what
it was that I went to in high school. I
made the mistake of checking the bag with all my
shoes and it was lost, and so I ended up
having to buy basically one pair of spikes and then
one pair of like throwing shoes and wear them for
(15:51):
everything because I only had an hour's notice when they
kept saying the bag's coming, the bags coming, and then
it wasn't, which is like every multi nightmare. But that's
why when you grow up, you learn that you don't
put anything that you desperately need anywhere except for the bag.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
That you carry on.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Yes, I want to talk about your super successful twenty
twenty five. You won your fourth straight US title, earning
a spot at the upcoming World Championships. You had that
runner up to Sidney McLaughlin at the Grand Slam Track event.
You had a personal best in the heptathlon in Austria
seven thousand and thirty two points, You're one of only
five people ever to break that seven thousand mark, and
(16:25):
that is second all time behind record holder Jackie Joyner Cursey.
You tied with Carolina Kluftass on that second all time list.
So tell me about that event, because you had a
lot of PB's personal bests.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
What was going right, what was going well? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (16:39):
I think I just honestly, I found my spark again there.
Last year twenty twenty four was really hard here for
me with the knee surgery and then not performing up
to my own expectations at the Olympics. So I took
that really hard, and it took me a while to
like think track was fun again, and so I was
actually really nervous for gatzis not even from a performance standpoint,
(17:03):
but I was like, I really hope, like I still
like this as much as I like remember liking it
before it was painful, because every heptathlon I did in
twenty twenty four, like was just physically painful, and so
that's not really a fun place to compete out of.
And so I was like, I hope this is so fun,
And so I was nervous about that part. And then
when high jump went really well and iprd in that
(17:25):
like I was just I felt like myself again. I
was like, I'm having so much fun, like I really
love this. And then I feel like it kind of
flowed from there and I wasn't expecting a score like that.
Like I knew I was fit, but I didn't think
I was pr fit. I was really just hoping to
find my joy again.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Incredible, your eight hundred meters time was two oh one
twenty three. That's a new world record for the heptathle.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
On eight hundred. That was the bane of my existence.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
I could feel that in my lungs for like an
hour after I was done.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
It was still hanging around.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
And I love always at the end of a major
event that haveta athletes are all lying on the track
next to each other, sort of comforting each other because
we just spent two days competing against but also with
each other, and there's this recognition of like, oh, we
did it. How do you feel about the eight hundred?
You're now the best to ever do it? So is
there any part of you that now enjoys it, or
is it still just like what the fuck?
Speaker 1 (18:19):
This sucks?
Speaker 3 (18:22):
I enjoy it because I'm good at it, but I
think I still feel all of the same nerves that
everyone else does before the eight hundred, where you're just
like ooh, like why do we do this again? And
I think it's funny that even though I run it
so well, people are like, oh, you probably are so
excited for it, and I'm like no, like I'm back
in the tent on the training table, like this sucks,
(18:43):
Like I can't believe I have to run ane hundred meters,
Like that's what I was saying before goat. Seems like
I'm trying to take myself to just a dark place
of like you're about to suffer, but like it's fine.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Yeah, Are you a kicker or do you try to
just stay on a pace the whole time?
Speaker 3 (18:56):
I go out heart like way too hard sometimes, like
going out in fifty eight hard. Oh so yeah, I'm
a hanger on her nightmare.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Do you think regular eight hundred meter runners feel the
same way that athletes do or do you think because
it's the only thing they do, they must have to
feel some sort of joy when they get on the
starting line.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
I don't know. I feel like it might be worse
because they like it's their thing, but they obviously must
like must like it more than we do since they
choose to do it more often.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
So Yeah, and they're like built for it, Like you
can only be so good at eight hundred if you're
also good at chot put, javel and long term hyd
up all the other things, whereas they are like naturally
made to do it. I want to talk about the
hurdles because I saw in an interview after the Championships
you mentioned that you carry a little bit of fear
still because of the twenty twenty one Trials and the
Olympic Trials.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
You hit the eighth hurdle, you crashed, broke.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
A bone in your foot, and that really kept you
out of competing in that upcoming Olympics. It kept you
from being on this really great straight up line for
your career. Have you completely gotten over that fear or
do you still feel it at all when you're when
you're lining up and running for that race.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Yeah, I feel like I've gotten over it for every
meet except for I think at US Trials, I'm always
going to just be like a little tight for one
hundred hurdles, and I think my whole I can feel
that my family's nervous extra nervous for that one, and
like I feel like my coaches everyone just kind of like,
let's just like cross the line and then like we
know we've got like the rest of the events, so
(20:32):
you just finish, like and I felt like at US Trials,
I got to hurdle seven and I was running really well,
and then I was kind of like, Okay, let me
just like make sure I get over them.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Yeah, a little extra distance over the top.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
Yeah, exactly. I don't feel like I approach any other
meat like that, So I feel like I run fearlessly
everywhere else. But I think US Trials just knowing that
you really just can't afford to not finish the hurdle
race and it's not as necessary to kind of like
go for because it will be at like a World
Championships or something like that. I'll probably always run a
little safer.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Well, that's what you're but that's what you said as well,
that you and your coaches had talked about taking a
little bit off doing enough, of course to qualify, but
you still had a tremendous score. So even running safe
and maybe thinking you went take a little off, you
were really killing it. In the high jump, you were
doing great in the throws. Do you think there was
any part of you that taking that bit of pressure
(21:26):
off allowed you to compete freer and might be something
to consider trying to manufacture at the big events, even
if it's not organic there.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Yeah, I think the taking the pressure off helped me
focus on each individual event because in my head I knew.
I was like, why I know I'm ready to pr
in the throw, so I was like, I want to
I want to leave with something. So I was like,
I want to leave with the shop for PR and
I kind of like challenged myself. But when my coaches
were like, you don't want to score super high, and
I was like, well I do, so I was like,
(21:55):
I'm going to try to score high like however I can. So.
I do think that approach is helpful in some regards,
But some of the decisions we made, like we started
pretty high and high jump just to save some jumps,
we probably won't make that decision at World since I
typically jump higher when I get more time to make
adjustments and learn right. At trials, we started so high,
(22:18):
I had like I had to learn quickly.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Yeah, for those who don't know high jump, because people
have such differing heights that are their highest that they
can do. You get to choose where you enter so
you don't waste a lot of energy just jumping over
something that's really easy for you, especially if you're really
really great jumper. But you have to be safe because
you got to get one in. You got to get
some points and to your point, you have to see
kind of where your body is on that given day,
(22:42):
so when you get to the height that you want
to be really pushing yourself at your feeling ready to go.
So maybe a little bit earlier at in Tokyo.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
Yes, yeah, I maybe a little bit earlier. I think
starting that high definitely freaked my dad out because I
know his worst fear.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Is that, like no height.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
So I saw him. Yeah, me panic a little bit,
and I was like, I'm good, I'm good.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Jackie Joiner Kursy was cheering you on at that meet.
She's been a little bit of a mentor to you.
What is it like to be cheered on by the
goat while you're chasing her?
Speaker 3 (23:09):
Oh, it's incredible. I mean to have her as a
mentor and just somebody that's in my corner, it's like
the most invaluable resource that I think any athlete could
have is the person who you're trying to copycat in
a way or aspire to be giving you advice on
how to do that. So that's amazing. And then just
(23:32):
seeing how she believes in me, Like I really really
feel her belief In anytime that I've maybe doubted myself,
I'm like, no, your biggest role model is sitting here
telling you that you can do it, Like maybe you
should listen. So it means the world. And it's just
an incredible relationship that I feel like I'm so fortunate
to have because I think it's so rare in splits
(23:54):
in general, but what she does for women's sports all
around is just incredible.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
The role model that she is, She's part of a
pretty big cheering section you have. You have a lot
of family that shows up. Who is the baby you
celebrated with that was wearing your metal.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
My niece, My first niece, Noela, she just turned one.
She was actually born during paras Olympics, so that was
her first actually second time seeing me compete live, but
first have tathlon, so she was fascinated with the medals.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
You know, you mentioned after that win that you have
a big chip on your shoulder after Paris tell me more.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
Yeah, I think I think I'm set out to prove
to myself that I'm just better than that. Like I
think in my head, I'm always only as good as
my last performance and or last like championship performance, because
I mean that is just kind of true in track,
and so I'm kind of I think this year is
(24:54):
proving to myself that when I'm healthy, like I can
be at the level that I wouldn't be at, and
that it wasn't that I was not good enough or
I was lacking anyway, that it really was just like, Okay,
that's really unfortunate timing that I happened to have me
surgery that year. That's what I would like to prove
to myself.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Yeah, I mean, you came in fifth in the Olympics
despite having knee surgery in January that seriously affected your training,
your time to prepare mentally physically. So it must feel
pretty good knowing you could do so much more when
given the opportunity when fully healthy.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
Yeah, it does. It definitely feels good. But I think,
you know, I'm always going to look back on twenty
twenty four of like, well, maybe we could have done
more and one and more for myself because you truly
just don't know. I guess, like what's possible? So for me,
I think YadA, it is always still going to be like,
I don't know, could I have done better? I'm not sure,
but I'll just kind of have to live with that question.
(25:49):
And I think that's motivating for me to make sure
that there's in future years I don't have to ask
myself that question.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
So, yeah, you're going to have more opportunities. It's interesting
there are some folks who say that they have this
Olympic let down, folks who have worked their entire lives
to get to the very top. Even folks who win
gold afterwards are like, huh, well, what's next? Just try
to win again? I guess is what's you know? What's
this all led to? Or what are the questions I
still have about my life and myself that weren't solved
(26:16):
by being.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
A gold medalist.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
When you were eight years old, you wrote down in
school that you were going to the Olympics.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
You've done it now, you didn't.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Finish as high as you would like, But what were
the emotions for you? Was there a feeling of accomplishment
and all your work paid off and you want more,
But were you able to still find that that gratitude
and feeling of pride in yourself.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
Yeah, I think I think I've had to find the
gratitude because I know it should be there, because I mean,
any lifelong dream, like, I'm super grateful and blessed that,
you know, God gave me the talent to do it
and I've been given the opportunity to do it. But
largely it was a letdown, and I think the post
Olympics come down for me was very, very hard. I
(27:00):
was kind of processing what happened, and then also I
think just the typical post Olympic leck down. It's like
for an entire year, everybody's talking about your goal, is
like it's the most important thing in the entire world,
and then it's over and you're kind of just like okay.
So I was definitely I was definitely low. My coaches
were saying, like, you just didn't want to be at practice,
(27:22):
Like I came in, I did everything they asked me
to do, but then I just I just wasn't myself.
So I kind of just told myself, like, well, I'm
going to do the physical work and like whenever my
brain's ready again, like my body will be waiting. So
that's what I tried to do.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Well. It seems ready this year because your performance has
been outstanding. So we're really excited to see what you
can do in Tokyo at the World Championships.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
I feel like I'm going to, as the owner and mom.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Of three dogs, give your pop Cross some credit for
getting you back mentally where you need to be.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
How old does he want? Did you get him? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (27:53):
Cross is one. I got him as soon as I
got back from Paris. That was like I was like
as soon as the Olympics, I remember like I'm getting
a dog and I was so, so so excited. So
having him this year has been incredible, and especially this
past fall when I was in that like post Olympic
let down, like literally on my off days when I
(28:14):
was like I could just line in bed all day
and be sad and feel bad for myself, Like I
was like, no, I need to go take Across for
a walk, and no, he wants to play and he's
in a good mood. And so he picked me up
so much, and I think, honestly, I'm so thankful for
just how playful he is every single day. I think
it really teaches me a lot honestly about Oh I
wish I was that excited to just wake up.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Yeah, dogs are therapy.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
I consider my dog's therapy, especially after a long day
or a bad day. I saw a really sweet photo
of you snuggling with him with your knee wrapped up,
so it feels like maybe he was helping you through
some rehab or keeping your company while you were icing something.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
My one. I have three dogs.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Two of them are older, so they've settled into the
like do I have to get up? But the young
one that I have, who's two, is the same thing
every morning, wakes up like.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
Let's go what's happening today?
Speaker 2 (29:01):
And I'm like, all right, I got to embrace this attitude.
Your pup is not just adorable though your pup has campaigns. Yes,
your pup is bringing in the dough. So tell me
about how you too partnered with new Loo. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Yeah, me and Cross and my family dog Emma, because
Cross was still in the womb when I first partnered
with Nu Loo, but we all partnered with Newlo to
really developed. I feel like a partnership that it just
makes so much sense because for me, I have to
focus on my nutrition and I have to feel myself well.
(29:34):
And one of their main campaigns, like the fuel Incredible
campaign is about fueling your dogs well. And to me,
that's like the best thing that I can do to
set him up for success, because that's like one of
the best things I do to set myself up for success.
So I've been super thankful for that partnership. I know
my family dog and my parents are super thankful too.
(29:56):
They get so excited when they get their newlo shipments
every month. They have like the best products across. Is
so spoiled, Like yeah, I was like, what type of
puppy eats wet dog food for lunch? And he gets
like drinky sticks every time we go on a walk.
So there's so many great products that he loves there.
So I love that I can spoil him because he
(30:18):
really really spoiled me, especially when I was at my low.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
Is cross a runner, can we?
Speaker 2 (30:24):
I mean, you are fueling him like one, but is
I have to pick which dog I'm taking on the
walk depending on whether I'm going for you know, three
miles or twenty minutes, based on their age and their fitness.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Yeah, he's a runner. He has a lot of energy,
definitely high drive. He's very smart. So he'll jog with me.
He'll usually do my warm up like I've got like
forty five minute warm up and he can hang for
that and then after that he's like, Okay, I'm ready
to lie down, and that's about when I'm putting my
spikes line starting the real work anyway, So it works
(30:55):
out well. But he likes to run. He loves to
chase birds. We recently learned how to hurdle. You try
to get him into some of those agility things.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
So amazing. Yeah, we got to get cross to do
all the events. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
He likes football. I got him with football, so yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Nice, Oh my gosh, so cute.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Well, I feel like you've dated a couple different pro athletes.
Your current boyfriend, Darius Slayton of the New York Giants,
is a runner. He is a wide receiver. There's some
speed in there. Do you guys work out together? Ever?
Speaker 3 (31:25):
We have, not as much as you guys as people
would probably think. But he came to Gainesville for his
off season for a couple of months, so he ran
a few workouts with me. But that was kind of
his downtime. So he was like, I'm not really trying
to run, but I was like please. So that was fun.
But I mean, obviously he's man, so he's super fast.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
Yeah, very fast, professional athlete.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Man. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Are you competitive with each other about stuff?
Speaker 3 (31:54):
Definitely? I got like he did hill sprints with me,
and so I was like fighting my hardist to try
to like stay in his zip code. And then he's
dabbled in a high jump and then he was like
I want to go over hurdles, and I was like, no, no,
because like the last thing I need is you getting
hurt and then your people and I know when I'm
there and I to do stuff, He's like, sit down.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
So yeah, I'm pretty sure if he got hurt doing
the hurdles, it would be immediately linked back to you.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
I don't think that you'd be able to escape.
Speaker 3 (32:21):
Yeah, don't worry all giants people. He's not taking any hurdles.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
Story. Yeah, who wins at Mario Kart.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
It goes back and forth. He's gonna say it is
usually him, But I think he has an advantage from
all the years of video gaming, Like I'm not used
to hold a controller. Yeah, and we do always play
like Nintendo tennis, and he destroys me and now and
every time, and I say like I'm like again again again,
(32:49):
and he's like forty five games.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Like like nobod, I have to win one because.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
I was like finding to win. You'll hear about it
when I do.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
Yeah, I look forward to the official announcement by decree
that you have finally wanted with tennis.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
I want to ask you quickly.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
We recently highlighted the women's to cathlon World Championship event
that was held independently as World Athletics, which is the
governing body for track and field, doesn't sponsor the event,
so they had it independently, and there's been a push
for more women to get to compete in the decathlon.
I am not pushing hard for that because I would
have been eliminated as soon as the pole vault got
invented and made a part of it.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
That wouldn't have been my jam. But it does feel
unfair that there is no women's to kathlon. So what
are your thoughts on that? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (33:32):
I think I really think it's like a sticky situation,
just because I don't think there's ever a great time
and I'm not sure if I mean, some people want
to replace a hebtathlon with it, some people want to
have both, so it kind of just depends on what
their plan would look like. I guess my response, but
I think I would never want to tell like a
little girl, like no, you can't do the decathlon. So
(33:54):
I'm happy that they have at least now, like there's
meets for it, there's a place for it. But then
on the flip side, like there's just so much history
in the heptathlon, and while it is it is different
than the decathlon, like there's no denying that, but I
don't think it being different makes it any inferior. And
I think it would be a shame to ever get
(34:14):
rid of it, And like we're going to we have
all these legends like the Jackies and the Carolines and
even the Nafis that I'm up against who have done
so many great things, and just to kind of like
erase that history would make me really sad. So yeah,
I guess that's where I sit on it.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
Yeah, I completely agree.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
It's like a yes and situation, yes to the heptathlon
and allow folks to get into the decathlon if that's
something they're into all right, last question for you, what's
the goal for Tokyo as we get ready and excited
to watch you in the World Championships.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
The goal for Tokyo is to have fun just like
I did I gotzis, and compete my very best. I
think I've proved to myself that if I'm at my best,
I should be competing for golds, and so I just
need to focus on making sure that I'm bringing my
best on the day I get there, healthy, knock on wood,
(35:03):
and hopefully can put together a PB score potentially at
like one of the biggest meets in my life. That
would be my ultimate dream come true.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
This year, well, we'll be rooting for it, and it
certainly sounds like this year you have been ramping up
for you at another big meet. So congrats on all
the success so far and good luck in Tokyo.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Thanks again to Anna for taking the time and chatting
with us. We got to take another break when we
come back. We welcome a hometown hero back to Chicago.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
Welcome Max Slices.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
Want to give a quick thank you and shout out
to USTA Coaching, which supports tennis coaches at all skill
levels and is working to get more women in the
coaching game. They brought together a fantastic group of folks
at the US Open on Tuesday and had just the
most wonderful day planned for us. That included watching some
of the matches, hanging out in the President's spite, spending
some time with Billy Jean King a lot of class,
(36:01):
and spending several hours with coaches from all sorts of
backgrounds the NFL, the NBA, the WNBA, College USTA to
try to idate around how to get more women in
the coaching rinks from the lowest levels all the way
to elite levels. And it was a really powerful and
incredible conversation, a really amazing group of people put together
(36:21):
in one room, and I just want to thank them
for including me and for wanting to start to document
best practices so that we can share them across all
the different sports save folks time as they're trying to
bring more women into the coaching rinks. It's such an
important problem to solve, and I'm grateful to the USTA
Coaching group for getting the ball rolling and putting that
group together. We had a fantastic day and like I mentioned,
we got to watch that incredible Coco golf match in person,
(36:44):
which was very very cool. Slice's We always love that
you're listening, but we want you to get in the
game every day too, So here's our good game play
of the day. Follow Anna on social media and watch
her compete at next month's World Championships. We'll link to
her insta in the show notes. And we always love
to hear from you, so hit us up on email
good game at Wondermedia neetwork dot com or leave us
a voicemail at eight seven two two oh four fifty
(37:05):
seventy and don't forget to subscribe rate and review Slices.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
It's easy.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
Watch Candace Parker's jersey retirement Part two, rating one of one.
Like Candace Parker review, you might remember Back in June,
the Los Angeles Sparks retired Candas Parker's number three jersey,
while this past Monday, the Chicago Sky took their turn
honoring the legend. The Illinois native was celebrated for her
role helping bring the team its first and only WNBA
(37:30):
title in twenty twenty one, one of just two seasons
that saw the hometown hero rockin a Sky jersey. In
her short time with the team, Parker earned two All
Star selections and one All WNBA First Team selection, and
most importantly lifted them to that title. The jersey retirement
ceremony happened at halftime of the Sky's game against the
Las Vegas Aces, the team with whom Parker finished her
career winning her third WNBA title. Former Aces teammates Chelsea
(37:53):
Gray and Jackie Young arrived at the game, rock and
Parker's high school jersey and Gray's son, Parker's godson, was
wearing a shit that read my godmom is better than yours.
Former Sky teammate Kalia Copper, who earned Finals MVP honors
the year the Sky won it All, even flew into
celebrate Parker in.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
Between games with her new team, the Phoenix Mercury.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Chicago greats Jennifer Hudson in Common were also among those
on hand to celebrate Parker, who said, quote, my heart
will always belong to the state of Illinois, the city
of Naperville, and the city of Chicago. It's not just
where I'm from, but it's the core of who I am,
and that's what home is.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
End quote. Congrats Ace, Now it's your turn, y'all. Rate
and review. Thanks for listening. See you tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
Good Game, Anna, Good Game, Candice in the Chicago Sky
You eight hundred meter Races Forever and Ever and Ever.
Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You
can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network,
(38:58):
our producers are alex Azzi Misha Jones. Our executive producers
are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder.
Our editors are Emily Rutter, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and
Gianna Palmer.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
Our associate producer is Lucy Jones.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Production assistance from Avery Loftist and I'm Your Host Sarah
Spain
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're warming
up to.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
The idea of le Boo boos thanks to Naomi Osaka's
custom bedazzled little monster named Billy Jean Bling.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
It's Thursday, August twenty eighth.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Then on today's show, we'll be chatting with heptatholite Anna
Hall about the upcoming Track and Field World Championships, being
mentored by Jackie Joyner Kersey, and what she thinks about
the push for women's to cal on plus serving through
a scare, Honoring a legend, Part two and the only
kind of royal proclamation we take seriously.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
It's all coming up right after this. Welcome Max Slices.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Here's what you need to know today. Let's start with
tennis and the US Open. American star Coco GoF survived
a first round scare on Tuesday, narrowly defeating Aila Tomjanovich
six four, six, seven, seven five to advance to the
second round.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
The third seeded GoF has been struggling with.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Her serve a lot over the last year, and ahead
of the US Open, she fired her coach and added
biomechanics expert Gavin McMillan to her team with the goal
of retooling the serve. It was a big change to
make heading into a Grand Slam, and it's clear there's
still a lot of work going on behind the scenes.
GoF had ten double vaults on Tuesday night, and her
serves were also much slower than they were earlier in
(01:18):
the summer, though she did have four aces on the night.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
We'll see how far GoF makes.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
It in this tournament, but she's clearly hoping to make
some changes that pay off long into the future. And
I was in the audience in the President's suite no
less for that match, and I have to tell you,
as much as the folks that I was with wanted
GoF to win, we also enjoyed the match. She was
playing so much that we kind of were hoping for
a third set. So we got what we wished for.
But I'm sure Coco hopes the next one is a
(01:43):
little bit easier. Up next for her a second round
match against Donna Beckich today. Naomi Osaka, two seed Igashfiantek,
and eight seed American Amanda Nissimova are also in action today.
We'll link to the full US Open schedule in the
show notes to the WNBA The Portland Fire has announced
the high aring Avonya. Trinovitch as a general manager ahead
of their inaugural season in twenty twenty six. Trinovich is
(02:05):
currently the president of basketball operations for a slightly older
expansion side, but not by much, the Golden State Valkyries.
Prior to that, she worked in the MNBA, including stints
with the league office and my Chicago Bulls. In a statement,
Trinovich said, quote, I am honored to join the Fire
with a vision to build the most innovative and groundbreaking
team in women's basketball.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
End quote, speaking of expansion teams.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Per friend of the show, Annie Costable, a front office sports,
the chances of the WNBA and its players agreeing to
a new collective bargaining agreement by the October thirty first
deadline is looking increasingly unlikely, and that could have a
big impact on the timing and protocols for the offseason's
expansion draft. We've got both the Portland Fire and Toronto
Tempo slated to begin play next season, and the league
(02:47):
is expected to hold an expansion draft during the winter,
in which those two franchises will be able to start
building out their rosters. For example, I had a last
year's expansion draft in December. Each WNBA team could protect
up to six players, and the Golden State Valkyries were
then allowed to select one unprotected player from each team.
But because the league's collect a Bargaining Agreement dictates the
rules for both the expansion draft process as well as
(03:10):
free agency, which typically begins in February, both sides need
to come to an agreement before any of those things
can happen. In a statement to Front Office Sports, WNBPA
executive director Terry Jackson said, quote, as we approach this
sixty day mark, the league's lack of urgency leaves players
wondering if it is focused on making this work or
just running out the clock. Fans do not want that
(03:31):
they are with the players in demanding a new standard
for the w end quote. If you want to learn
more about the negotiation process, we'll link to two of
Annie's recent stories in the show notes More hoops. The
Minnesota Timberwolves and Links announced the hiring of Matthew Caldwell
as CEO of both teams on Wednesday. Caldwell previously served
as president of the NHL's Florida Panthers for the last decade,
(03:52):
a tenure that included back to back Stanley Cup wins
in twenty twenty four and twenty twenty five. Caldwell's hiring
marks the first major move by Timberwolves and Links owner
Mark Laura and Alex Rodriguez, who assumed majority ownership of
both franchises in June. In a press release, the club
said Caldwell's ten year contract quote sets the stage for
the Timberwolves and Links to thrive well into the future.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
End quote.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
More WNBA and another ALYSSA triple double Thomas record to
tell you about. The Mercury forward recorded her seventh triple
double of the season on Tuesday, putting up twelve points,
sixteen rebounds, and fifteen assists in a ninety two to
eighty four win over the Los Angeles Sparks. Number seven
breaks Thomas's own single season triple double record, and it
marks the eighteenth triple double of her career. Just a reminder,
(04:36):
that's fourteen more than number two on the list, Sabrina Escu,
who has four triple doubles in her career.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
More hoops.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Nike announced that Caitlin Clark is the brand's newest signature athlete,
meaning Clark gets her own signature logo, a collection of
apparel bearing said logo, and a long awaited signature sneaker.
Nike said the signature shoe and apparel collections will launch
next year, while her logo was unveiled as part of
the announcement and feature two interlocking seas. The Indiana Fever
celebrated the launch at Tuesday's game, a ninety five to
(05:05):
seventy five thrashing of the Seattle Storm at Gainbridge Fieldhouse,
by giving every fan in attendance a Caitlin Was Here
t shirt featuring the CC logo. According to a release
from Nike, the interlocking seas are meant to reflect Clark's
connection to her fans, with the smaller sea representing quote
how Caitlyn's game was built from the inside out, a
product of her passion for the sport, relentless drive, and
constant pursuit of perfection end quote. The logo kind of
(05:29):
gives off Coco Chanelle vibes, except with both seas facing
in the same direction. We'll link to the logo in
the show notes. Seek it take a look for yourself
to the ice. On Monday, we welcomed Michelle Leflomm to
preview the inaugural women's Pair of ice Hockey World Championship,
and the action officially got underway on Tuesday, with Team
USA opening its tournament with an eight to nothing victory
over Australia. American Kelsey de Claudio netted the first ever
(05:52):
goal in tournament history. Team Canada opened with a big
win as well, defeating Team World ten nothing. The group's
stage round continues through today, with the semi finals on
Saturday and the Golden bronze medal games on Sunday. You
can check the show notes for a link to the
Paralympic YouTube page where you can stream every game. And
if you missed that conversation with Michelle from earlier this week,
go back and listen to the episode to learn more
(06:12):
about why this tournament is a huge step forward for
the sport of women's.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Para ice hockey.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
In college soccer, last year's national champions and this year's
preseason favorites, the UNC tar Heels are off to a
tough start with their opening loss to Tennessee. They became
the first defending College Cup winners to lose their opener
since two thousand and two, and a loss to Georgia
a week later dropped them to two and two on
the season, setting them all the way down to number
twenty two in the United Soccer Coaches rankings. Stanford is
(06:41):
the new number one in the country, having won their
first four games. Finally, in golf, the FM Championship teas
off today at TPC Boston and Norton, Massachusetts, with a
four point one million dollar perse on the line, the
largest on the tour outside of the majors. This is
just the second year of this stop on the tour,
but the best of the best will be in attendance,
as third of the world's top forty ranked players are
(07:02):
scheduled to compete. You can watch starting at two pm
Eastern today live on the Golf Channel. All Right Selicis,
as Big Citrus discussed on Tuesday show. We're officially in
WNBA end of season awards consideration season, which means teams
are starting to make a case for their athletes, and
that includes the Seattle Storm, who issued a quote unquote
royal proclamation on social media saying quote here ye hear yee,
(07:26):
loyal WNBA fans and media, By decree of the Crown,
we hereby issue this most noble proclamation in support of
Madam President neco Ugumkay for Most Valuable Player and First
Team All WNBA.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
The decree went on to make the case.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
For other Storm players for each of the end of
season player awards, including Gabby Williams as Defensive Player of
the Year and Erica Wheeler for Most Improved Player. These
types of campaigns have become the norm for WNBA teams,
so it's likely we're going to see more of this
in the next couple weeks. The Las Vegas Aces recently
set members of the media a four your consideration announcement
for Asia Wilson as MVP and Defensive Player of the Year,
(08:04):
and the Minnesota Links recently hinted at what's to come
by putting the phone number six one to two MVP
fee on their press release about Nafisa Collier's return. We
actually tried calling the number, and we had about as
much success as we did when trying to return a
call to Cooper's groomer a few weeks ago. But we
have a feeling the Links have a much larger campaign
on the way, so maybe we'll try that number again
(08:26):
in a few days. We got to take a quick
break when we come back, I talk running, jumping, and
throwing with heptathlete and a Hall joining us now she's
one of the best athletes on the planet. She's tied
for second all time in the heptathlon, trailing only the
(08:47):
greatest of all time, Jackie Joyner Cursey, and earlier this summer,
she won her fourth consecutive US title in the event.
She's won two World Championship medals, silver in twenty twenty
three and bronze in twenty twenty two, and made her
Olympic debut at last summer's Paris Games. A former Georgia
Bulldog and Florida Gator, she won NCAA titles in both
the indoor pentathlon and the outdoor heptathlon. Date nights with
her NFL boo include Mario Kart competitions, and she's got
(09:10):
a whole phone full of pics of her pop cross.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
It's Anna Hall.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Hi, Anna, Hello, that was quite the intro. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
I'm so excited to talk to you because this is
like episode three hundred something whatever, and this is the
first time I'm getting to chat with a fellow heptathlete.
I was a college tipt athlete and I am obsessed
with the event and with the people who do it,
and I understand as anyone smart showed that appta athletes
and decathletes are the best athletes on the planet. I
want to talk about how you got started in Maultai's
(09:37):
Can you tell everyone the seven events and whether you
acquired the meach one by one or had a feeling
early on you might do it.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
The seven events are one hundred hurdles, high jump, shot
put in the two hundred, and that's all on day one,
and on day two we do long jump, javelin, and
then we end with the lovely eight hundred meters. I
turned into a heptathlete honestly out of like stubbornness. When
I started track, I did high jump and fifteen hundred
(10:08):
and I told my parents like, I want to go
to the Olympics in both and I never wanted to
quit either. But the training for those doesn't go together
at all, so everyone was like, Okay, you're gonna have
to pick at some point, and I didn't want to.
So my dad was a decathlete, so he was like,
why don't you just try like one of these events,
(10:30):
and I try to pentathlon. I think at that age
it was, and I knew, right.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
What age was this? That was what I was gonna do.
I was maybe.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Twelve, Yeah, okay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Your dad being at Catholete certainly helps.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
When I was in high school, I did discus, long jump,
triple jump, high jump, and one hundred meter hurdles. And
my coach was a college to cathlete, so it was
the same thing. He was like, I'm gonna borrow a
javelin from a school nearby and see if you like it,
And that's how I got hooked on it. You mentioned
your dad, he and your two older sisters all went
to Michigan. Yes, how much of a recruitment did you
(11:05):
get not just from the school but from your family
to continue the tradition a ton?
Speaker 3 (11:10):
I think actually at the beginning of my recruiting process,
some other coaches just assumed I was going to go
to Michigan. So there were a few coaches where I'm like,
I thought we would have talked by now, and They're like, oh,
we just thought you were going to Michigan, and I
was like, no, Like, I'm going to decide on my own.
I know they would have loved for me to go,
but my dad did make it very clear, like he
(11:30):
was like, this is your decision, and like we're proud
of you whatever you choose. They just wanted me to
factor in the academics a little bit, so I did
my best to navigate that.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
So you were a tremendous athlete and all the different events,
but you've run a lot of open four hundred meters,
including recently at the twenty twenty five Grand Slam Track
event in Miami just this past May, you were runner
up to Sydney McLaughlin.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Not a bad person to come in second to.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Has there been a moment recently or way back when
where you ever considered competing in more open events outside
of the multis or even where a coach tried to
talk you out of maultize to focus on individuals.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Definitely some moments where coaches tried, I think, especially in
high school. It's funny I ran the three hundred hurdles.
It was in high school and there was a school
I don't name it, I guess, but the coach is there,
Like I was getting recruited by the multi coach and
then their hurdle coach reached out and was like trying
to recruit me for the foreigner hurdles, and I was like,
(12:31):
I was already talking to you guys like for the Multai,
and they didn't realize I was the same person.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
And then that coach was like, we can make you
a great foreigner hurdler, like you should drop the Multai
and I was like, oh, like, I love the foreigner
hurdles and I'd love to see what I could do there.
But like, Sydney's absolutely dominating that, and I think my
ceiling is a heptathlete as much higher, so I'll stick here.
But I definitely like my side quests.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
I mean, your second all time in the history of
the events, so I would say it's going pretty well
for you and maybe something to stick with. But it's
so funny because hearing you say the side quest, I
literally compare my life to the ptathlon. I always say
jack of all trades, master of none. I have life fomo.
I don't want to have to choose one thing or
even a couple. I want to do all the things.
(13:16):
I want to do all the events. I want to
go to all the places, read all the books, do
all the jobs, see all the things like and it
feels like it's a quality like a character. And I
also feel like for training and practice, I really enjoyed
that on any given day, I could be working in
plios for the jumps, or I could be working on throws,
or I could be doing sprints. I never understood the
people who could just train over and over at the
same thing. Is that a part of the joy of
(13:39):
doing multis for.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
You as well?
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Definitely a little bit. I think high jump is like
my favorite event overall, and so like, if I had
to pick one, it would be that. But I also
think I would drive myself insane high jumping every single
day because like I mean, you know how hydrind practice is,
like you're knocking the bar off over and over and
over and over again and various by hitting it with
vario different parts, and I think I think that would
(14:02):
drive me insane. So I have a lot of respect
for people that do that every day. But I love
training for everything and I get that same fomo that
you're talking about. And that's why I was like, oh,
Grand slams here, I want to run Diamond League. I
want to run because I just was like, I don't
want to be left out of any part of track.
I want to make sure that I've dabbled and got
(14:23):
to experience everything.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
One of the unique things about the Maltize is there's
different shoes for almost every single event. So tell folks
how much equipment you're traveling with, and in particular, how
many different shoes you need to have at the ready.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Yes, it is a lot of equipment. I never travel light.
I don't travel light anyway, so doing the multnsn't help
at all. I think I use, I think I might
only Yeah, I only use five pairs of shoes because
I ended up now I use the same pair for
the two hundred and the eight hundred. But yeah, it's
(14:57):
a different spike for every single event. And I am superstitious,
and there're chertain events where I have to race in
a fresh pair, so that means bringing two of those
pairs any competition. I travel at the shop, put a javelin,
and then you know, any food and snacks you might need,
and all the uniforms and then all your girls stuff,
So the bags get pretty heavy.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Javelin is a checked item. Unfortunately, they do not let
you carry on with a javelin.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
They don't. Yeah, I've even got stopped for the shot.
Put a couple of times. I'm not really sure if
I'm supposed to carry that on, but I have.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Yeah, they definitely have to take it out and swipe
it with that thing like a candle. Yeah, one of
the Junior Olympics or National champions I can't remember what
it was that I went to in high school. I
made the mistake of checking the bag with all my
shoes and it was lost, and so I ended up
having to buy basically one pair of spikes and then
one pair of like throwing shoes and wear them for
(15:51):
everything because I only had an hour's notice when they
kept saying the bag's coming, the bags coming, and then
it wasn't, which is like every multi nightmare. But that's
why when you grow up, you learn that you don't
put anything that you desperately need anywhere except for the bag.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
That you carry on.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Yes, I want to talk about your super successful twenty
twenty five. You won your fourth straight US title, earning
a spot at the upcoming World Championships. You had that
runner up to Sidney McLaughlin at the Grand Slam Track event.
You had a personal best in the heptathlon in Austria
seven thousand and thirty two points, You're one of only
five people ever to break that seven thousand mark, and
(16:25):
that is second all time behind record holder Jackie Joyner Cursey.
You tied with Carolina Kluftass on that second all time list.
So tell me about that event, because you had a
lot of PB's personal bests.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
What was going right, what was going well? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (16:39):
I think I just honestly, I found my spark again there.
Last year twenty twenty four was really hard here for
me with the knee surgery and then not performing up
to my own expectations at the Olympics. So I took
that really hard, and it took me a while to
like think track was fun again, and so I was
actually really nervous for gatzis not even from a performance standpoint,
(17:03):
but I was like, I really hope, like I still
like this as much as I like remember liking it
before it was painful, because every heptathlon I did in
twenty twenty four, like was just physically painful, and so
that's not really a fun place to compete out of.
And so I was like, I hope this is so fun,
And so I was nervous about that part. And then
when high jump went really well and iprd in that
(17:25):
like I was just I felt like myself again. I
was like, I'm having so much fun, like I really
love this. And then I feel like it kind of
flowed from there and I wasn't expecting a score like that.
Like I knew I was fit, but I didn't think
I was pr fit. I was really just hoping to
find my joy again.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Incredible, your eight hundred meters time was two oh one
twenty three. That's a new world record for the heptathle.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
On eight hundred. That was the bane of my existence.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
I could feel that in my lungs for like an
hour after I was done.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
It was still hanging around.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
And I love always at the end of a major
event that haveta athletes are all lying on the track
next to each other, sort of comforting each other because
we just spent two days competing against but also with
each other, and there's this recognition of like, oh, we
did it. How do you feel about the eight hundred?
You're now the best to ever do it? So is
there any part of you that now enjoys it, or
is it still just like what the fuck?
Speaker 1 (18:19):
This sucks?
Speaker 3 (18:22):
I enjoy it because I'm good at it, but I
think I still feel all of the same nerves that
everyone else does before the eight hundred, where you're just
like ooh, like why do we do this again? And
I think it's funny that even though I run it
so well, people are like, oh, you probably are so
excited for it, and I'm like no, like I'm back
in the tent on the training table, like this sucks,
(18:43):
Like I can't believe I have to run ane hundred meters,
Like that's what I was saying before goat. Seems like
I'm trying to take myself to just a dark place
of like you're about to suffer, but like it's fine.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Yeah, Are you a kicker or do you try to
just stay on a pace the whole time?
Speaker 3 (18:56):
I go out heart like way too hard sometimes, like
going out in fifty eight hard. Oh so yeah, I'm
a hanger on her nightmare.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Do you think regular eight hundred meter runners feel the
same way that athletes do or do you think because
it's the only thing they do, they must have to
feel some sort of joy when they get on the
starting line.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
I don't know. I feel like it might be worse
because they like it's their thing, but they obviously must
like must like it more than we do since they
choose to do it more often.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
So Yeah, and they're like built for it, Like you
can only be so good at eight hundred if you're
also good at chot put, javel and long term hyd
up all the other things, whereas they are like naturally
made to do it. I want to talk about the
hurdles because I saw in an interview after the Championships
you mentioned that you carry a little bit of fear
still because of the twenty twenty one Trials and the
Olympic Trials.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
You hit the eighth hurdle, you crashed, broke.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
A bone in your foot, and that really kept you
out of competing in that upcoming Olympics. It kept you
from being on this really great straight up line for
your career. Have you completely gotten over that fear or
do you still feel it at all when you're when
you're lining up and running for that race.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Yeah, I feel like I've gotten over it for every
meet except for I think at US Trials, I'm always
going to just be like a little tight for one
hundred hurdles, and I think my whole I can feel
that my family's nervous extra nervous for that one, and
like I feel like my coaches everyone just kind of like,
let's just like cross the line and then like we
know we've got like the rest of the events, so
(20:32):
you just finish, like and I felt like at US Trials,
I got to hurdle seven and I was running really well,
and then I was kind of like, Okay, let me
just like make sure I get over them.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Yeah, a little extra distance over the top.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
Yeah, exactly. I don't feel like I approach any other
meat like that, So I feel like I run fearlessly
everywhere else. But I think US Trials just knowing that
you really just can't afford to not finish the hurdle
race and it's not as necessary to kind of like
go for because it will be at like a World
Championships or something like that. I'll probably always run a
little safer.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Well, that's what you're but that's what you said as well,
that you and your coaches had talked about taking a
little bit off doing enough, of course to qualify, but
you still had a tremendous score. So even running safe
and maybe thinking you went take a little off, you
were really killing it. In the high jump, you were
doing great in the throws. Do you think there was
any part of you that taking that bit of pressure
(21:26):
off allowed you to compete freer and might be something
to consider trying to manufacture at the big events, even
if it's not organic there.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Yeah, I think the taking the pressure off helped me
focus on each individual event because in my head I knew.
I was like, why I know I'm ready to pr
in the throw, so I was like, I want to
I want to leave with something. So I was like,
I want to leave with the shop for PR and
I kind of like challenged myself. But when my coaches
were like, you don't want to score super high, and
I was like, well I do, so I was like,
(21:55):
I'm going to try to score high like however I can. So.
I do think that approach is helpful in some regards,
But some of the decisions we made, like we started
pretty high and high jump just to save some jumps,
we probably won't make that decision at World since I
typically jump higher when I get more time to make
adjustments and learn right. At trials, we started so high,
(22:18):
I had like I had to learn quickly.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Yeah, for those who don't know high jump, because people
have such differing heights that are their highest that they
can do. You get to choose where you enter so
you don't waste a lot of energy just jumping over
something that's really easy for you, especially if you're really
really great jumper. But you have to be safe because
you got to get one in. You got to get
some points and to your point, you have to see
kind of where your body is on that given day,
(22:42):
so when you get to the height that you want
to be really pushing yourself at your feeling ready to go.
So maybe a little bit earlier at in Tokyo.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
Yes, yeah, I maybe a little bit earlier. I think
starting that high definitely freaked my dad out because I
know his worst fear.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Is that, like no height.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
So I saw him. Yeah, me panic a little bit,
and I was like, I'm good, I'm good.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Jackie Joiner Kursy was cheering you on at that meet.
She's been a little bit of a mentor to you.
What is it like to be cheered on by the
goat while you're chasing her?
Speaker 3 (23:09):
Oh, it's incredible. I mean to have her as a
mentor and just somebody that's in my corner, it's like
the most invaluable resource that I think any athlete could
have is the person who you're trying to copycat in
a way or aspire to be giving you advice on
how to do that. So that's amazing. And then just
(23:32):
seeing how she believes in me, Like I really really
feel her belief In anytime that I've maybe doubted myself,
I'm like, no, your biggest role model is sitting here
telling you that you can do it, Like maybe you
should listen. So it means the world. And it's just
an incredible relationship that I feel like I'm so fortunate
to have because I think it's so rare in splits
(23:54):
in general, but what she does for women's sports all
around is just incredible.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
The role model that she is, She's part of a
pretty big cheering section you have. You have a lot
of family that shows up. Who is the baby you
celebrated with that was wearing your metal.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
My niece, My first niece, Noela, she just turned one.
She was actually born during paras Olympics, so that was
her first actually second time seeing me compete live, but
first have tathlon, so she was fascinated with the medals.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
You know, you mentioned after that win that you have
a big chip on your shoulder after Paris tell me more.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
Yeah, I think I think I'm set out to prove
to myself that I'm just better than that. Like I
think in my head, I'm always only as good as
my last performance and or last like championship performance, because
I mean that is just kind of true in track,
and so I'm kind of I think this year is
(24:54):
proving to myself that when I'm healthy, like I can
be at the level that I wouldn't be at, and
that it wasn't that I was not good enough or
I was lacking anyway, that it really was just like, Okay,
that's really unfortunate timing that I happened to have me
surgery that year. That's what I would like to prove
to myself.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Yeah, I mean, you came in fifth in the Olympics
despite having knee surgery in January that seriously affected your training,
your time to prepare mentally physically. So it must feel
pretty good knowing you could do so much more when
given the opportunity when fully healthy.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
Yeah, it does. It definitely feels good. But I think,
you know, I'm always going to look back on twenty
twenty four of like, well, maybe we could have done
more and one and more for myself because you truly
just don't know. I guess, like what's possible? So for me,
I think YadA, it is always still going to be like,
I don't know, could I have done better? I'm not sure,
but I'll just kind of have to live with that question.
(25:49):
And I think that's motivating for me to make sure
that there's in future years I don't have to ask
myself that question.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
So, yeah, you're going to have more opportunities. It's interesting
there are some folks who say that they have this
Olympic let down, folks who have worked their entire lives
to get to the very top. Even folks who win
gold afterwards are like, huh, well, what's next? Just try
to win again? I guess is what's you know? What's
this all led to? Or what are the questions I
still have about my life and myself that weren't solved
(26:16):
by being.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
A gold medalist.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
When you were eight years old, you wrote down in
school that you were going to the Olympics.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
You've done it now, you didn't.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Finish as high as you would like, But what were
the emotions for you? Was there a feeling of accomplishment
and all your work paid off and you want more,
But were you able to still find that that gratitude
and feeling of pride in yourself.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
Yeah, I think I think I've had to find the
gratitude because I know it should be there, because I mean,
any lifelong dream, like, I'm super grateful and blessed that,
you know, God gave me the talent to do it
and I've been given the opportunity to do it. But
largely it was a letdown, and I think the post
Olympics come down for me was very, very hard. I
(27:00):
was kind of processing what happened, and then also I
think just the typical post Olympic leck down. It's like
for an entire year, everybody's talking about your goal, is
like it's the most important thing in the entire world,
and then it's over and you're kind of just like okay.
So I was definitely I was definitely low. My coaches
were saying, like, you just didn't want to be at practice,
(27:22):
Like I came in, I did everything they asked me
to do, but then I just I just wasn't myself.
So I kind of just told myself, like, well, I'm
going to do the physical work and like whenever my
brain's ready again, like my body will be waiting. So
that's what I tried to do.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Well. It seems ready this year because your performance has
been outstanding. So we're really excited to see what you
can do in Tokyo at the World Championships.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
I feel like I'm going to, as the owner and mom.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Of three dogs, give your pop Cross some credit for
getting you back mentally where you need to be.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
How old does he want? Did you get him? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (27:53):
Cross is one. I got him as soon as I
got back from Paris. That was like I was like
as soon as the Olympics, I remember like I'm getting
a dog and I was so, so so excited. So
having him this year has been incredible, and especially this
past fall when I was in that like post Olympic
let down, like literally on my off days when I
(28:14):
was like I could just line in bed all day
and be sad and feel bad for myself, Like I
was like, no, I need to go take Across for
a walk, and no, he wants to play and he's
in a good mood. And so he picked me up
so much, and I think, honestly, I'm so thankful for
just how playful he is every single day. I think
it really teaches me a lot honestly about Oh I
wish I was that excited to just wake up.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Yeah, dogs are therapy.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
I consider my dog's therapy, especially after a long day
or a bad day. I saw a really sweet photo
of you snuggling with him with your knee wrapped up,
so it feels like maybe he was helping you through
some rehab or keeping your company while you were icing something.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
My one. I have three dogs.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Two of them are older, so they've settled into the
like do I have to get up? But the young
one that I have, who's two, is the same thing
every morning, wakes up like.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
Let's go what's happening today?
Speaker 2 (29:01):
And I'm like, all right, I got to embrace this attitude.
Your pup is not just adorable though your pup has campaigns. Yes,
your pup is bringing in the dough. So tell me
about how you too partnered with new Loo. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Yeah, me and Cross and my family dog Emma, because
Cross was still in the womb when I first partnered
with Nu Loo, but we all partnered with Newlo to
really developed. I feel like a partnership that it just
makes so much sense because for me, I have to
focus on my nutrition and I have to feel myself well.
(29:34):
And one of their main campaigns, like the fuel Incredible
campaign is about fueling your dogs well. And to me,
that's like the best thing that I can do to
set him up for success, because that's like one of
the best things I do to set myself up for success.
So I've been super thankful for that partnership. I know
my family dog and my parents are super thankful too.
(29:56):
They get so excited when they get their newlo shipments
every month. They have like the best products across. Is
so spoiled, Like yeah, I was like, what type of
puppy eats wet dog food for lunch? And he gets
like drinky sticks every time we go on a walk.
So there's so many great products that he loves there.
So I love that I can spoil him because he
(30:18):
really really spoiled me, especially when I was at my low.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
Is cross a runner, can we?
Speaker 2 (30:24):
I mean, you are fueling him like one, but is
I have to pick which dog I'm taking on the
walk depending on whether I'm going for you know, three
miles or twenty minutes, based on their age and their fitness.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Yeah, he's a runner. He has a lot of energy,
definitely high drive. He's very smart. So he'll jog with me.
He'll usually do my warm up like I've got like
forty five minute warm up and he can hang for
that and then after that he's like, Okay, I'm ready
to lie down, and that's about when I'm putting my
spikes line starting the real work anyway, So it works
(30:55):
out well. But he likes to run. He loves to
chase birds. We recently learned how to hurdle. You try
to get him into some of those agility things.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
So amazing. Yeah, we got to get cross to do
all the events. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
He likes football. I got him with football, so yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Nice, Oh my gosh, so cute.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Well, I feel like you've dated a couple different pro athletes.
Your current boyfriend, Darius Slayton of the New York Giants,
is a runner. He is a wide receiver. There's some
speed in there. Do you guys work out together? Ever?
Speaker 3 (31:25):
We have, not as much as you guys as people
would probably think. But he came to Gainesville for his
off season for a couple of months, so he ran
a few workouts with me. But that was kind of
his downtime. So he was like, I'm not really trying
to run, but I was like please. So that was fun.
But I mean, obviously he's man, so he's super fast.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
Yeah, very fast, professional athlete.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Man. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Are you competitive with each other about stuff?
Speaker 3 (31:54):
Definitely? I got like he did hill sprints with me,
and so I was like fighting my hardist to try
to like stay in his zip code. And then he's
dabbled in a high jump and then he was like
I want to go over hurdles, and I was like, no, no,
because like the last thing I need is you getting
hurt and then your people and I know when I'm
there and I to do stuff, He's like, sit down.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
So yeah, I'm pretty sure if he got hurt doing
the hurdles, it would be immediately linked back to you.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
I don't think that you'd be able to escape.
Speaker 3 (32:21):
Yeah, don't worry all giants people. He's not taking any hurdles.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
Story. Yeah, who wins at Mario Kart.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
It goes back and forth. He's gonna say it is
usually him, But I think he has an advantage from
all the years of video gaming, Like I'm not used
to hold a controller. Yeah, and we do always play
like Nintendo tennis, and he destroys me and now and
every time, and I say like I'm like again again again,
(32:49):
and he's like forty five games.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Like like nobod, I have to win one because.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
I was like finding to win. You'll hear about it
when I do.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
Yeah, I look forward to the official announcement by decree
that you have finally wanted with tennis.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
I want to ask you quickly.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
We recently highlighted the women's to cathlon World Championship event
that was held independently as World Athletics, which is the
governing body for track and field, doesn't sponsor the event,
so they had it independently, and there's been a push
for more women to get to compete in the decathlon.
I am not pushing hard for that because I would
have been eliminated as soon as the pole vault got
invented and made a part of it.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
That wouldn't have been my jam. But it does feel
unfair that there is no women's to kathlon. So what
are your thoughts on that? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (33:32):
I think I really think it's like a sticky situation,
just because I don't think there's ever a great time
and I'm not sure if I mean, some people want
to replace a hebtathlon with it, some people want to
have both, so it kind of just depends on what
their plan would look like. I guess my response, but
I think I would never want to tell like a
little girl, like no, you can't do the decathlon. So
(33:54):
I'm happy that they have at least now, like there's
meets for it, there's a place for it. But then
on the flip side, like there's just so much history
in the heptathlon, and while it is it is different
than the decathlon, like there's no denying that, but I
don't think it being different makes it any inferior. And
I think it would be a shame to ever get
(34:14):
rid of it, And like we're going to we have
all these legends like the Jackies and the Carolines and
even the Nafis that I'm up against who have done
so many great things, and just to kind of like
erase that history would make me really sad. So yeah,
I guess that's where I sit on it.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
Yeah, I completely agree.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
It's like a yes and situation, yes to the heptathlon
and allow folks to get into the decathlon if that's
something they're into all right, last question for you, what's
the goal for Tokyo as we get ready and excited
to watch you in the World Championships.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
The goal for Tokyo is to have fun just like
I did I gotzis, and compete my very best. I
think I've proved to myself that if I'm at my best,
I should be competing for golds, and so I just
need to focus on making sure that I'm bringing my
best on the day I get there, healthy, knock on wood,
(35:03):
and hopefully can put together a PB score potentially at
like one of the biggest meets in my life. That
would be my ultimate dream come true.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
This year, well, we'll be rooting for it, and it
certainly sounds like this year you have been ramping up
for you at another big meet. So congrats on all
the success so far and good luck in Tokyo.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Thanks again to Anna for taking the time and chatting
with us. We got to take another break when we
come back. We welcome a hometown hero back to Chicago.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
Welcome Max Slices.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
Want to give a quick thank you and shout out
to USTA Coaching, which supports tennis coaches at all skill
levels and is working to get more women in the
coaching game. They brought together a fantastic group of folks
at the US Open on Tuesday and had just the
most wonderful day planned for us. That included watching some
of the matches, hanging out in the President's spite, spending
some time with Billy Jean King a lot of class,
(36:01):
and spending several hours with coaches from all sorts of
backgrounds the NFL, the NBA, the WNBA, College USTA to
try to idate around how to get more women in
the coaching rinks from the lowest levels all the way
to elite levels. And it was a really powerful and
incredible conversation, a really amazing group of people put together
(36:21):
in one room, and I just want to thank them
for including me and for wanting to start to document
best practices so that we can share them across all
the different sports save folks time as they're trying to
bring more women into the coaching rinks. It's such an
important problem to solve, and I'm grateful to the USTA
Coaching group for getting the ball rolling and putting that
group together. We had a fantastic day and like I mentioned,
we got to watch that incredible Coco golf match in person,
(36:44):
which was very very cool. Slice's We always love that
you're listening, but we want you to get in the
game every day too, So here's our good game play
of the day. Follow Anna on social media and watch
her compete at next month's World Championships. We'll link to
her insta in the show notes. And we always love
to hear from you, so hit us up on email
good game at Wondermedia neetwork dot com or leave us
a voicemail at eight seven two two oh four fifty
(37:05):
seventy and don't forget to subscribe rate and review Slices.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
It's easy.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
Watch Candace Parker's jersey retirement Part two, rating one of one.
Like Candace Parker review, you might remember Back in June,
the Los Angeles Sparks retired Candas Parker's number three jersey,
while this past Monday, the Chicago Sky took their turn
honoring the legend. The Illinois native was celebrated for her
role helping bring the team its first and only WNBA
(37:30):
title in twenty twenty one, one of just two seasons
that saw the hometown hero rockin a Sky jersey. In
her short time with the team, Parker earned two All
Star selections and one All WNBA First Team selection, and
most importantly lifted them to that title. The jersey retirement
ceremony happened at halftime of the Sky's game against the
Las Vegas Aces, the team with whom Parker finished her
career winning her third WNBA title. Former Aces teammates Chelsea
(37:53):
Gray and Jackie Young arrived at the game, rock and
Parker's high school jersey and Gray's son, Parker's godson, was
wearing a shit that read my godmom is better than yours.
Former Sky teammate Kalia Copper, who earned Finals MVP honors
the year the Sky won it All, even flew into
celebrate Parker in.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
Between games with her new team, the Phoenix Mercury.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Chicago greats Jennifer Hudson in Common were also among those
on hand to celebrate Parker, who said, quote, my heart
will always belong to the state of Illinois, the city
of Naperville, and the city of Chicago. It's not just
where I'm from, but it's the core of who I am,
and that's what home is.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
End quote. Congrats Ace, Now it's your turn, y'all. Rate
and review. Thanks for listening. See you tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
Good Game, Anna, Good Game, Candice in the Chicago Sky
You eight hundred meter Races Forever and Ever and Ever.
Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You
can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network,
(38:58):
our producers are alex Azzi Misha Jones. Our executive producers
are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder.
Our editors are Emily Rutter, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and
Gianna Palmer.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
Our associate producer is Lucy Jones.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Production assistance from Avery Loftist and I'm Your Host Sarah
Spain
Host
Sarah Spain
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