A four-time Olympian, Olympic silver medalist, and New York City Marathon winner, Shalane Flanagan has had a wildly successful career in track and field. Despite this impressive list, the marathoner could have even more accolades to her name and priceless moments in her memory…if not for athletes who’ve used performance-enhancing drugs to gain an advantage in sport.
Those moments, and the validation and opportunities that go with them, were stolen from her by athletes willing to cheat themselves and others of authentic victory. In fact, Shalane’s Olympic silver medal from the 2008 Olympics wasn’t awarded to her until 2017, when she was upgraded from bronze after the original silver medalist tested positive retroactively. Most recently, her seventh-place finish in the marathon at the 2016 Rio Games was tainted by news that two of the top finishers in the race have since tested positive for doping.
Watch the full video to see Shalane explain how doping has impacted her career and how she views the fight for clean sport.
