Backstraight Boys Athletics Chat

Does Caster Semenya have the raw speed to challenge the world's best over 200 metres? Does Britney Spears..? As the Olympic Games are postponed for the first time in their history, and Mark Dry receives the same length of ban as Ruth Jebet, the world - it seems - has truly gone mad.The only constant right now is that Mo Farah is embroiled in drama, as a new Panorama documentary airs, and his name makes headlines once more. At least we've something comfortingly familiar in these desperate times, eh? Speaking of Farah - do the delayed Games help or hinder his attempts to return to the track? Something tells us not; the new kids on the distance block don't scare easy, and an extra year's mileage in his legs can't be a good thing.What's fascinating, though, is that the delay *does* help some athletes. Wayde van Niekerk has an extra year to recover from knee surgery. Kirani James and Niamh Emerson have been given more time to return to form. Would Mondo have preferred to have ridden h

We'll level with you: this might be a middle distance special, but it's the length of a marathon. It's an hour and forty-eight minutes of athletics chat, including four substantial interviews with a quartet of Great Britain's finest current 800 and 1500 metre racers. You could get half way through the responsibly-spaced queue at your local Tesco's in that time.'The optimal length for a podcast episode is between 40 and 50 minutes', the received wisdom will tell you. Well, we've a few responses to that:1) You've nothing better to do right now. You've either cancelled all your plans (like Bayo); you're waiting for this whole thing to blow over in your holiday home (like Jody); or you actually have the virus, and so are a mopey, isolated mess (like Claire). This will help with *any* of those.2) We are enjoying incredible success in middle distance disciplines right now, leaving us all nostalgic for the Cram/Coe/Ovett era, and getting us super excited for wha

Mondo Duplantis is making history at whim, Jemma Reekie has stepped out of Laura Muir's shadow and is eating national records for breakfast, and Jessie Knight is laughing in the face of her own previous bests. Oh, and Joshua Cheptegei just dropped a 12:51 5km on the roads in Monaco. 2020 looks set to be epic.Claire's back with the boys this week, with all of the above covered, plus plenty of shout-outs to other Backstraight favourites around the globe (we see you, Amber Anning), an update on Christian Coleman's location, and a look at Joanna Adams' appointment.We also take a moment to savour how healthy much of athletics looks right now. YES, there are troublesome shoes, disturbing revelations about top-flight coaching set-ups, and ongoing issues around clean sport and athletes with DSD, but there's lots to find exciting. There's such strength and depth out there right now, and Team GB are spoilt for choice in so many disciplines, come selection season. Plus, Andy Pozzi is health

It's an Olympic year. Mondo has already broken a World Record. Jemma Reekie has broken three British ones. Jeanette Kwakye and Jon Mulkeen are on the pod. Goodness gracious, 2020 really is off to a fabulous start at Backstraight HQ.We've had a wonderful couple of months off, but are back with an absolute bang, and thought this would be the perfect appetite-whetter ahead of what ought to be a sensational year of running, jumping, throwing, and walking.Here's to rants, raves, and records; to sprint queens and distance duels; to packed stadia and lined streets; to podding our way through a jam-packed season, and sharing all of it with you.Here's to 2020. Enjoy!Want to get in touch? @BackstraightB, @Statman_Jon, @JNETTEKWAKYE, and @Claire_GThomas

Radzi's back. He's an expert and a professional, who covered - with great warmth and nous, we might add - many of this year's major events. This recording should be plain-sailing... right?Of course not. Radzi thinks Kipchoge's sub-two was a phenomenal athletic performance. Jody and Bayo think it's a gimmick. Chaos ensues. He also thinks Christian Taylor might be his Male Athlete of the Year. Claire 'Keep it Karsten' Thomas is apoplectic.It was terrific fun, however, and we did agree on a few things: Muhammad's supremacy, the ridiculousness of some of the officiating in Doha, that a happy Kat is a pretty unbeatable Kat, and that we'll never forget Barshim's gold-winning performance, nor the men's shot put final.Thanks very much to those of you who sent in your thoughts on this year's highlights, and to all of you who listen to us. There's a proper Backstraight community growing, and we absolutely love it. Merry Christmas, don't forget to vot

Was Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two marathon an extraordinary athletic achievement? Or was it a technology-doped gimmick? Could it be viewed as both? A little late to the party, perhaps, but full of opinion as ever - we took a look at his history-making run through the streets of Vienna.Within 24 hours of that, Brigid Kosgei was smashing Paula's time in Chicago, and so fell one of the greatest statistical outliers in the sport: the longest-standing marathon record of the post-War era. What a time to be a distance runner, eh? That is, unless you want to compete on a track on the World Athletics circuit... #DiamondWhat?We also cast our eyes over the end-of-season awards, and - with hindsight - did a pretty good job guessing the winners... Finally - Christian Taylor's The Athletics Association is up and running, and Adam Gemili (plus others) are taking legal action against the British Olympic Association's application of Rule 40. We'll hear more over the coming weeks from athletes involved in b

We've had a lovely, restful month off. Unfortunately, the IAAF haven't. They've been busy chopping the triple jump, steeplechase, discus throw, and 200 metres from the 2020 Diamond League. Honestly. You couldn't make it up. Taylor v Claye? Meh. Noah Lyles? We've had enough charismatic sprinters. World records? Completed it, mate. Some of the best discuss-throwers in history? Throws leave people cold... right?There's that rant to have, and then there's the NY Times' interview with Mary Cain to discuss. Once one of athletics' most prodigious talents - a distance dynamo with an infectious smile and the world at her feet - Cain's stint at the Oregon Project saw her, in her own words, 'emotionally and physically abused'. She's articulate, thoughtful, emotive, and very brave in the piece, and it seemed only right we touch upon the issues raised.And - finally - some good news. Three bits of good news, in fact. Jody and Bayo have been journalising, and

Where do we begin..? With the empty seats? The fainting marathon runners? Alberto Salazar's ban? With the DQs that were and weren't? Or the fact that we missed experiencing Mihambo's 7.30m live because it was necessary to watch (another) Mo Farah montage?OR - how about we talk about the world records? The African fans roaring on their athletes in the distance events without stopping dancing for even a second? The women returning to the sport to earn the titles of both 'mother' and 'world-beater'? Mutaz Barshim shrugging off gravity with a series of the most implausible world leads before a rapt home crowd? The flair of Jeanette Kwakye? The chemistry between Toni Minichiello and Steve Backley? The moment Sophie McKinna threw 18.61 to qualify for a global final? The vaulters who cleared national records minutes after snapped poles? Or the fact that Dina Asher-Smith and Katarina Johnson-Thompson are both World Champions?Doha was problematic. It was frustrating. But it was also

We’ll level with you. We completely and utterly lost control of this one. Like Eilish McColgan in the British Championships 5000m this year, it set off like a train, and we never stood a chance. We invited Radzi Chinyanganya along to help us preview the 2019 World Championships, figuring that his professionalism would lend polish and structure to our usual ramblings. To our absolute delight, he completely failed in this respect; Radzi was such an effervescent fountain of knowledge, anecdotes, and ‘one more thing’s that this recording snowballed gloriously. Two hours and a whole loaf of banana bread later, and we present to you this: our longest ever episode, in which we discuss what we can expect of Doha as a host city, the events about which we’re most psyched (and most unphased *cough* men’s 100m *cough*), and the many sizzling head-to-heads coming our way. It’s a long one, yes, but it’s also (if we do say so ourselves) a very good one. If you agree, please do let us know: via Twitter or Instagram, or by le

The 2019 Diamond League has finished, British Athletics have named their team for the World Championships, and the gang's back together! Oh - hang on - Bayo's running late. Close, but no coconut. Regardless: what an exciting time of year, and how bloody amazing does it feel knowing we've a British women's 100m Diamond League Champion? With Doha just around the corner, it's time to ponder how revealing those Zurich and Brussels meets were, and cast an eye through the 74 athletes chosen to #Represent. Ever the journalist, Jody spoke to comeback queen Abigail Irozuru, and Britain's #2 shot putter, Amelia Strickler, to hear about their selection experiences. All of that, PLUS: Claire beats the boys in the Fantasy Diamond League, The Meet makes a cameo, and we reveal who'll be joining us for our big Doha preview episode. Don't say we don't spoil you... Leave us a review, follow us on Twitter (@BackstraightB & @Claire_GThomas), and enjoy!

Newly-crowned British 100m Champion, Ojie Edoburun said something very wise to us this weekend: ‘you can be a circuit guy, or you can be a championship guy.’ Now, in an ideal world, you’d be both, but that’s no easy feat, and it’s a rare old athlete who’d pick Diamond League consistency over the chance to etch their names into the history books, and clinch silverware when big performances matter the most. The British Champs aren’t the Worlds or Olympics, but they sure do run the rule over our best and brightest, and establish who’s got the nouse to navigate the muddy waters of championship success. Enter Eilish McColgan, who ran from gun to tape in a manner which can only be described as utterly dominant (and gruelling, in 31 degree heat…). She was the quickest in the field, she wanted to go to Doha, and so she won the race. Simple. Sophie McKinna, Sarah McDonald, Dina Asher-Smith, Holly Bradshaw, Matthew Hudson-Smith, and Ben Williams did much the same: emphatically and confidently securing qualification. Fo

Claire's away 'doing rugby in France' (close enough, lads; she's been in both Portugal and West London, and is now - terrified - hitting 'publish' on an episode the boys promise needs only a cursory tidy up in edit...), leaving Jody and Bayo to look ahead to this weekend's British Championships.  Last year, we all agreed that the trials were one of our favourite events of the season: brimming with fierce competition, high-quality contests, and the very best of British athletics. Beth Dobbin's post-race interview. Dina's championship record. A women's long jump in which 6.69 didn't even get you a medal. Matthew Hudson-Smith's 400m dominance. Laura Muir's 800m cameo. Glorious weather, even. If this year's anything like as exciting as last, then we're all in for a doozy. That said, we've just been challenged to a 4x400 race by Trackastic, with Kath Merry already offering to commentate, and Beth Dobbin keen to complete our quartet, so

We've two guests this week, and they're on for very different reasons. Double European U23 Champion and enormous talent Jemma Reekie is back (we've had her on before. We adore her), to discuss her history-making exploits in Gavle. Rabah Yousif? Well, he's on because he... Oh - hang on. Scrap that. We mean Youcef Zatat. Or do we..? Basically, British Athletics had an administrative shocker in Bydgoszcz, naming the wrong athlete in their 4x400 squad, and catapulting the UK's #2 shot putter into the limelight. FYI - he definitely would have competed, and is a fantastic interviewee. Genuinely disappointing and a massive shame for the athletes unable to compete, but - also - what a story. How utterly ridiculous. We cast an eye over these two championships more broadly - there were some really exceptional performances, and domestic trials are only getting more exciting by the week - as well as the US T&F Champs (spoiler alert: Dalilah Muhammad is superhuman) and European U20s. Quick bit

We've recorded 50 episodes! How on earth has that come about? Thank you *so* much to those of you joining us on our error-strewn, star-sprinkled athletics' romp to date. We've loved every minute of it (especially when Jody made the pacemaker his Fantasy Diamond League captain...).Claire's been away covering the Netball World Cup, but these major international meets don't journalise themselves, so Jody and Bayo headed to the London Stadium to speak to the following at the Anniversary Games: Karsten Warholm, Laviai Nielsen, Jakob Ingebrigsten, Gjert Ingebrigsten, Beth Dobbin, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Katarina Johnson-Thompon. Big names? Complete it, mate.From Gjert telling us that Jakob's got 'baby fat' to lose before he can really excel in the 5000, to Karsten describing the final few seconds of a 400mH as hurting 'so fucking good' - this episode's chock-full of T&F titbits hotter than the Northern Line right now. Plug in and enjoy.As ever, we&apos

'Distance running isn't sexy. How on Earth are you meant to market it? Does anyone even want to watch races longer than 4 minutes these days? Definitely - DEFINITELY - let's not sell beer at distance running meets, have supporters pack out lane three, nor invite international medallists to thrash it out - screamed on by thousands of cowbell-toting fans - for European and national titles.' - Actual (read: completely fabricated) minutes from a recent Diamond League meeting...The fact is - with a little TLC, some big speakers, plenty to eat and drink, and stacked fields - an evening of 10km races is a corker of an idea. Major snaps to Ben Pochee and co. for founding Highgate Harriers' Night of the 10k PBs back in 2013. It's an event which has gone from strength to strength, and we were thrilled to be covering it this year.This episode features: Steph Twell, Eilish McColgan, Wendy Sly, Michael Rimmer, Hannah England, Ben Pochee, Bram Som, Andy Vernon, and our thoughts on a stonking n

Being a heptathlete (we imagine; we’re hardly speaking from experience here at Backstraight HQ…) requires not only explosiveness, endurance, technical finesse, and sublime co ordination, but nerves of absolute steel. The psychological challenges of the event have proven a stumbling block for many physically-gifted athletes, and to be able to reach into your bag of tricks and deliver a third round clearance, lifetime best, or gutsy 800 metres at the end of two gruelling days of competition requires the mentality of a supreme competitor. Niamh Emerson, from what we’ve seen so far, is one of those. Bronze at her first major senior championships, gold in Tampere after the most dramatic of 800 metres, and silver behind KJT with the best pentathlon performance ever executed by a teenager: we have grown accustomed to this athlete bringing her A-game every time. Great Britain’s heptathlon heritage is as rich as they come - Mary Rand, Mary Peters, Judy Simpson, Denise Lewis, Kelly Sotherton, Jess Ennis-Hill, and Katar

As gaffs go, we thought we'd be hard-pressed to beat missing the entire Stockholm round of the Fantasy Diamond League this season. Our rankings were decimated; our hearts broken. Our seasons, surely, can be written off just like this year's Nike Elite kit. But then Jody named an actual pacemaker as his team captain, and all bets were off. Oh, how we laughed (Jody aside...). Claire's captain? The resplendent Karsten Warholm, whose European record was the headline act of this week's Bislett Games, and one of the finest runs of the Diamond League season so far. We cast our eyes admiringly back over the last few meets, and - not so admiringly - over the IAAF's fresh look. 'World Athletics' is here, and it has the mildly confusing new logo to prove it. Jody and Bayo show off their NCAA knowledge, and - in doing so - break this podcast's (own) record for 'shortest, least informed section of a sporting show ever produced'.Putting all jokes to one side, we also take a

Caster Semenya is a terrific talent. She is a fierce competitor. She is a dignified presence in a melting pot of opinions: an articulate and inspirational oasis in the face of a relentless tide of ignorance, knee-jerk reactions, and vitriol. We love the light-hearted on this pod, but put our usual flippancy to one side for a moment this week to discuss this historic legal case, and bemoan the lost art of sitting on the fence. It is okay to not have an answer to this conundrum; it is alright to not have a strong opinion on how the IAAF should navigate these immensely tricky waters.We also discuss the Doha Diamond League (have you joined our fantasy league yet? The pin’s 5533292. Good luck catching Claire…), and the glorious metaphor of Mo falling off that Tumbleator as he spatted and sniped his way to the London Marathon start line. To absolutely no one’s surprise, Eliud trounced the entire field whilst looking glacially serene, and there were some knockout British performances. Finally, we cast an eye over th

'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times' wrote Charles Dickens, but this canonical line could well have been penned by Georgia Nicholson, Lady Bird, or any other coming-of-age protagonist. Adolescence is tough enough without international selection, age group championships, and the expectation of massively-invested athletics' fans to contend with. Being a prodigious youngster is no easy feat: just look at Jodie Williams, who had to compete with the moniker of 'Moneylegs', or the many US collegiate athletes who've buckled beneath gruelling schedules and meteoric ascents into the track and field spotlight. There are pitfalls aplenty, and it's a perilous transition to navigate.That said, it can be an exhilarating journey, if you remain healthy and happy, and your progress well managed. Wunderkids Jakob Ingebrigsten and Mondo Duplantis blew our minds in Berlin. Niamh Emerson PBs for fun, and seems as unbothered by competing against seniors as Jody and Bayo are by th

More people would watch athletics if there were less of it. More athletes would jump higher, run faster, and throw further if they were under greater pressure (the threat of not fulfilling a lifelong ambition by competing at an Olympics) to do so. More interest could be generated and clarity secured if a global ranking system were put into place. More fans would be able to enjoy field events if they took place outside of stadia. That's right; it's all change on Planet Track & Field. The IAAF have announced reformations to both the Diamond League and the qualification process for Tokyo, and there is nothing we like more at Backstraight HQ than a bit of controversy. That said, it's not all doom, gloom, and rants. Far from it: there are some real merits to the proposed changes, and it's heartening to see those in charge recognising that the current Diamond League schedule is as impossible to comprehend as Jody and Bayo's Twitter handle (they still can't recall it at the first ti