The "Zatopek" is complete, and while Sifan Hassan did not perfectly replicate the Czech legend's achievements, she did help close off the Athletics programme of the Paris Olympics in spectacular fashion, winning the women's Marathon gold. We review the race, and explain how once again, the course added great intrigue to create a great race and spectacle. We also look back on the final night of track and field from the stadium, where an historically fast men's 800m produced four of the top 8 times ever, and France got its first athletics medal. Kipyegon did the expected in a fast women's 1500m, and Ingebrigtsen did the obvious in winning a slow men's 5000m. The relays, as always, capped off a great night with a near world record for the USA women, and an epic race between USA and Botswana in the men's race.

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Tamirat Tola won the men's Olympic Marathon gold today, but it was the marathon course that we thought was the star of the show, as it threw two severe hills at the athletes, creating a dynamic, unpredictable race full of excitement. We explain how Tola conquered that course in remarkable fashion to break the Olympic Record with aggressive hill running. We also look back on the track action, which included relay medals for some athletes who came so close to individual podiums, as well as a double gold and bronze in the women's 10000m, and an impressively fast women's 400m. Finally, we talk breaking, boxing and the IOC's disgrace, and look ahead to the final night of track action from Paris.

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The Paris 2024 Olympics were hyped as the Noah Lyles games, with the American's campaign to win four gold medals the anticipated storyline. That storyline was terminated by Botswana's Letsile Tebogo in the men's 200m final last night, and it was subsequently revealed that Lyles had tested positive for Covid on Tuesday. We discuss Tebogo's 19.46s victory, and contrast his approach to the brash approach of Lyles in a rivalry that may continue to produce fast times and good quotes. Another rivalry produced a mismatch, where Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone destroyed both the world record, and a field including Femke Bol, in another remarkable 400m hurdles race. We talk about Bol's all-or-nothing race that ultimately cost her silver. We also discuss the latest salvo in the WADA-USADA dispute, which threatens to undermine the credibility of anti-doping, as the power struggle and allegation game continue. Finally, we look ahead to the second-last night of track finals, and even remember that there's a marathon happening in Paris tomorrow!

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Here's that WADA statement that we discuss on the show

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The men's 400m Olympic Champion is Quincy Hall, who produced a remarkable final 100m to reel in Matthew Hudson Smith. We discuss the historically fast race, with a focus on Hall's last 100m were a triumph due to survival, rather than a blistering kick. We also analyze the men's 3000m steeplechase, where el-Bakkali defended his gold and Girma's hopes crashed, literally, into the Paris track. A brief look at the team pursuit golds in cycling is followed by a news round-up including a fascinating wrestling weight loss controversy, and some drama around lane draws for Olympic finals, with some implications for tonight's action. Finally, we preview the big track finals tonight, and Ross the Octopus makes his gold medal picks.

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Here is the story of the Indian weightlifter, Vinesh Phogat, discussed on the show

A graphic showing the change in lane draw allocations for the track finals - better than listening to Ross try to explain them

Kenny Bednarek's tweet and the resultant discussion that he protested

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Sport Climbing is one of the newest additions to the Olympic sporting menu. In Paris, climbers tackle two distinct disciplines - boulder/lead, and speed climbing. In this special episode, we are joined by Tim Cross, a science writer with The Economist, to reveal the hidden side of sport climbing. We talk about the differences between these disciplines, and how the competitions are scored and won. We also about the physiological demands of the sport, the ideal body types for climbing, and how route design presents new challenges for climbers that means that climbing excellence is both art and science, mental and physical.

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The IFSC Policy for RED-S, as discussed on the podcast

For Discourse members only, Discourse Member Julia Littlefair shared some really interesting thoughts on the RED-S issue. This thread also includes links to other interesting material on this issue.

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In one of the most hyped, anticipated track races in recent memory, it was Cole Hocker, and not the big favourites Jakob Ingebrigtsen or Josh Kerr, who emerged as the Olympic 1500m champion. The race lived up to its billing - Ingebrigtsen's aggressive pace-setting, Kerr hunting from behind, and Hocker, patient and poised, waiting to unleash what turned out to be the deadliest kick of all. We review the race, offering insights on Ingebrigtsen's pace selection, which truly was all or nothing as he faded to finish fourth. We also discuss the other track finals (women's 200m and 3000m Steeplechase), and explore a track cycling world record deluge in Paris' velodrome.

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Keely Hodgkinson has her Olympic Gold. The pre-race favourite delivered under pressure with a commanding front-running performance to secure an elusive global title. We discuss the race pattern that delivered the gold with big margins behind, and explain why it suggests a lot more to come from Hodgkinson. Beatrice Chebet outclassed Faith Kipyegon in the women's 5000m, in a race marred by a clash between Kipyegon and another pre-race favourites, Gudaf Tsegay. Mondo DuPlantis did Mondo things, winning relatively comfortably and then ticking off an Olympic record followed by another World Record in the Pole Vault. We dissect those performances, and wrap up the Artistic Gymnastics where falls and drama were the order of the day, as well as Gareth's new found Olympic love, Canoe Slalom Cross.

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In a recent press conference, the IOC were asked why they believed sex eligibility tests done on the now controversial boxers were arbitrary? In response, they said "There's no reason for the test", and appeared to equivocate on what the purpose of testing might be. This is the latest in a series of side-steps in which the IOC are downplaying what those tests actually show - males in women's combat sport - and instead undermining why they were done. But for sport, the ability to assess who is eligible for a category is not arbitrary, it is fundamental to making the category work. Weight classes only work because of weigh-ins, for instance. In this Bonus episode, Ross addresses this, directly addressing the IOC to explain why the category boundary can only be defended if some form of testing is welcomed. He explains how every IOC statement on this issue should be understood as the necessary defence of their choice of inclusion ahead of fairness and safety for females, and offers the solution that would be welcomed if the choice had been made to defend fairness and safety, instead.

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