Diamond League finals, Sha&apos;Carri and #DeadLast, a shout out to the surprisingly excellent Continental Tour, *that* 100 metres in Nairobi, a change in attitudes towards DSD athletes, and plenty more besides - including, of course, quotes from both &apos;Grease&apos; and &apos;The Hollow Men&apos;.It might be rambling, but at least we don&apos;t spend 90% of the pod talking about American steeplechasers who aren&apos;t even leading the race...*A huge thank you to Hal Leonard Europe for their support - we adore our new Samson microphones and mixer - and to you for tuning in. You can find HLE on Twitter as @HalLeonardEUR, or Instagram as @halleonardeuropeGot an opinion? Let us know your thoughts! @ClaireGThomas and @BackstraightB (plus @BackstraightBoysPodcast on Intsa). Leave us a review on your podcast provider, while you&apos;re at it...We&apos;ll be back very soon with our special 2021 season review, and we can&apos;t wait.Peace, love, and SAFP memes to you all xoxo* we love Courtney and Emma. This nonsense isn&apos;t their fault.

Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat

Danny, Sandy, and T S Eliot: A Meandering Meme-y Mish Mash of Recent Athletics Happenings

Two World titles, two Olympic silvers, and a personal best of 7.11m. Fiona May achieved an awful lot in a stellar long jump career, but - despite having been born in Slough and becoming a Junior World Champion whilst competing for Great Britain - her greatest moments were for the Azzurri, after she switched citizenships in 1994, and never looked back. Her daughter, Larissa, is European Junior Champion, and already closing in on her mother&apos;s records.With Italy winning five golds in Tokyo - including a jaw-dropping 4x100 title, and an internet-breaking sob fest of a win in the men&apos;s high jump - we could think of no one better to chat it all through with.From her decision to change allegiances, and her attempts to persuade her daughter to pick any event but the long jump, to what it means to represent Italy - such a passionate sporting nation - we cover it all, and hope you enjoy the listen as much as we relished the conversation. Fiona - it was a JOY. Grazie. Thanks so much for tuning in. Please let us know your thoughts, and give us a follow on socials: @Claire_GThomas and @BackstraightB on Twitter, and @backstraightboyspodcast on Instagram.We weren&apos;t able to use our amazing microphones for this one, but - because we love them, and are so grateful for their support - here&apos;s a shout out to our friends at Hal Leonard Europe, who provided our swanky Samson gear.Enjoy Pre Classic, guys xoxo

Switching Countries, Dissuading Daughters, and Keeping It Simple: An Italian Special with Fiona May

&apos;What&apos;s the plan for this one, Claire?&apos;&apos;I&apos;ll do a quick intro, and then how about we just talk about the Olympics for an hour?&apos;And there you have it: a non-stop romp through just a sliver of a truly magical Games. From Karsten to Rojas, and back again via Tamber(in)i and some stellar British performances.We laughed, gasped, and cried our way through the games, had a blast doing World Athletics&apos; Inside Track, and remain utterly in love with the Olympics. We&apos;re sure you are, too.So, tuck in and enjoy. We&apos;ll be back soon to reflect some more - we hardly scraped the surface here - but couldn&apos;t not get together to celebrate a fortnight of glorious, glorious, track and field.Thanks, as per, to Hal Leonard Europe for their support - we adore our Samson microphones and mixer - and to you for tuning in.Please remember to rate/review/subscribe on your podcast platform, and to get in touch with any thoughts on Twitter (@BackstraightB & @Claire_GThomas) or Instagram (@BackstraightBoysPodcast). We really do enjoy hearing from you.

Incredible Performances, Gorgeous Storylines, and just being 'So Olympics': Our (1st) Tokyo 2020 Review

Athletics in Tokyo is just hours away, and - if we thought we were excited before Roger Black joined us to discuss it all - we had another thought coming. The three-time Olympic medallist has left us like kids at Christmas: he really was the perfect guest for this one.Stacked middle distance fields, infinite and bonkers scheduling permutations, and those 400 metre hurdle races... Be still, our beating hearts.We honestly cannot wait, and promise to keep serving up track and field chatter throughout.Let us know what YOU&apos;RE excited about, why don&apos;t you? @Claire_GThomas, @BackstraightB, and @RogerBlack400 Don&apos;t forget to check out our Instagram Lives - @BackstraightBoysPodcast - and to leave us a review, if you haven&apos;t done so already.A remote recording this week, so no Samson mics in use, and - wow - did we miss our swanky kit. We can&apos;t wait to be back using our Hal Leonard gear very, very soon.Lots of love. Let the Games begin xoxo

Deprived of Sleep, Delighted for Daley, and just INCREDIBLY Excited: Roger Black joins us to preview the Olympics

When British Athletics offer you accreditation for Olympic trials, you drop everything, and so Claire and Bayo headed up to Manchester for a blockbuster Sunday of runs, jumps, and throws.They caught up with Adam, with Beth, with all three women&apos;s 800-metre medalists, with the ever-wonderful Elliot Giles, the prodigious Oliver Dustin, the gravity-defying duo of Jaz and Morgan, a delighted Tiff Porter (off to her THIRD Games), an ecstatic Jess Judd, a not-yet-qualified Amy-Eloise Markovc, and Jodie &apos;two golds&apos; Williams. It was a blast.Here&apos;s a bit of chatter, a glorious smorgasbord of some of Britain&apos;s finest, and then a bit more chatter. We hope you enjoy it.We&apos;ll be back in the studio with our wonderful Samson gear (thanks, Hal Leonard Europe!) as soon as Jody is better (get well soon, other Backstraight Boy xxx), ready to get - if possible - even more excited for the Olympics than we already are. What a time, eh? We. Can&apos;t. Wait.Social media info, should you want to get in touch: @BackstraightB and @Claire_GThomas on Twitter, and @BackstraightBoysPodcast on Instagram. Please give us a rating on your podcast provider, if you haven&apos;t done so already. Means an awful lot.Happy British Champs to you all xoxo

Jubilant Jodie, Kween Keely, and Plenty More from Manchester: Our British Champs Sunday Special

US trials start today, so we hopped on Instagram Live with the reigning Olympic Champion, the goat, and the birthday boy, Christian &apos;friend of the pod&apos; Taylor: the future president of World Athletics (/the world).Here&apos;s - and, brace yourselves, it&apos;s entirely unedited - our preview of what should prove a humdinger of a championship. On paper, the US trials are simple: have the standard, finish top three, and go to Tokyo. In reality, they&apos;re high pressure, high quality, and high drama. We. Can&apos;t. Wait.Thanks so much for tuning in. Please let us know your thoughts, and give us a follow on socials: @Claire_GThomas and @BackstraightB on Twitter, and @backstraightboyspodcast on Instagram.We weren&apos;t able to use our amazing microphones for this one, but - because we love them, and are so grateful for their support - here&apos;s a shout out to our friends at Hal Leonard Europe, who provided our swanky Samson gear.Happy birthday Christian. Good luck to all those competing at the trials. Check the origins of your food truck burrito meat. Much love to you all xoxo

Finish First, Finish Second, or Finish Third: US Trials Preview with Christian Taylor

We&apos;re never short on opinions at Backstraight Towers, but this week includes some particularly impassioned discussions: why on Earth are World Athletics persevering with the ghastly &apos;top three&apos; jump competition format? does the European Team Champs have any relevance or merit as a meet these days? and what have we all made of sprinting sensation, Sha&apos;Carri Richardson?We look back at Gateshead (wet and windy) and Doha (exactly the opposite), Silesia and Ostrava, and award a few gongs for recent performances. Of course, we also bring up Merlene Ottey and the boys getting drunk at various international competitions. Plus ca change...Got an opinion? Let us know your thoughts! @ClaireGThomas and @BackstraightB (plus @BackstraightBoysPodcast on Intsa). Leave us a review on your podcast provider, while you&apos;re at it...A huge thank you to Hal Leonard Europe for their support - our love for our new Samson microphones and mixer is growing by the week - to Faloola Chong for her recent review, and to you for tuning in. Stay hydrated, and always wear sunscreen xoxo

Sha'Carri, Jump Format Changes, and Euro Team Champs: A Marmitey Backstraight Chat

We&apos;re back in the same room! We&apos;ve got amazing new recording equipment! Katie Snowden&apos;s run 4:02! The women&apos;s 100 metres at Gateshead is going to be incredible! &apos;Sarah&apos; actually exists! There&apos;s so much to be excited about this week, as the gang meet up - in the actual flesh - to look at recent standout performances by athletes all over the world, and preview the first Diamond League of the season. Bayo said it best: there are going to be some entirely &apos;wait, who?&apos; unpredictable Olympic Champions this year, but the performances themselves are guaranteed to be brilliant.A huge thank you to Hal Leonard Europe for their support - we adore our new Samson microphones and mixer - and to you for tuning in.Please remember to rate/review/subscribe on your podcast platform, and to get in touch with any thoughts on Twitter (@BackstraightB & @Claire_GThomas) or Instagram (@BackstraightBoysPodcast). We really do enjoy hearing from you.Happy Diamond League, you lovely lot. From Jody, Bayo, Claire, and Sarah x

All the gear, plenty of ideas, and tonnes of noteworthy results: a real round-up of a pod

The World Relays were a funny old meet, but - as per - we were just thrilled to have athletics to watch, and used it as an opportunity to *finally* welcome along Martyn &apos;relay&apos; Rooney: one of the country&apos;s most adored, decorated, and long-limbed stars.Why didn&apos;t British Athletics send a 4 x 100 squad? How much can be learned at events like this? What on earth is the point of a Mixed 2×2×400 m? All this and more on the latest episode.A reminder that you should absolutely get yourselves down to a Runners Need store pronto, or - if online shopping is more your (virtual) bag - don&apos;t forget to nab yourself a discount at runnersneed.com, with our code &apos;backstraight&apos;. 15% off is not to be sniffed at...Ts & Cs:*15% off is valid from 16th February 2021 to 30th April 2021 using the code backstraight and applies to full price products only at www.runnersneed.com and excludes electronics. The code does not work with any other offer or discount. The promotional code must be used at the basket stage to activate the discount.  Outdoor and Cycle Concepts Limited trading as Runners Need reserve the right to cancel this promotion at any time.A huge &apos;thanks&apos; to Martyn for his time and expertise. Come back soon, please!We&apos;ll be releasing another pod within the next fortnight, so don&apos;t forget to hit &apos;subscribe&apos;, and hit us up on Twitter (@BackstraightB & @Claire_GThomas). The results are coming thick and fast now, and we cannot wait to dive into them all for you xoxo

Extraneous Events, Priceless Experience, and Bra Malfunctions: it's Mr Relay himself - Martyn Rooney

British javelin throwing is not in a good place right now. The days of Fatima, Tessa, Steve, and Goldie feel long gone, and it&apos;s not entirely clear why that is.Lack of coaching or competition? Poor talent identification? Other sports poaching promising youngsters? Lacklustre marketing of the event? We had plenty of ideas at Backstraight HQ, and you lovely lot sent us plenty of fantastic suggestions of your own, but - with an Olympics looming large, and a very real chance that Team GB won&apos;t be sending a single javelin thrower - it was time to bring in the big guns.How big? Oh - just a pair of Olympic medallists, one of whom is a former World Record-holder... We don&apos;t mess around here. With Goldie Sayers and Steve Backley&apos;s passion and expertise to help, here&apos;s our attempt to get to the bottom of Britain&apos;s ailing javelin landscape.If you enjoy the listen, please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts, and remember to hit that &apos;subscribe&apos; button. We also love a chat on Twitter (@BackstraightB and @Claire_GThomas), plus think you should check us out on Instagram (@BackstraightBoysPodcast). An aspiring javelin thrower yourself? Goldie and Steve *actually say on this episode* that they&apos;d love you to reach out, and coaches don&apos;t come much better than that. What are you waiting for..??Don&apos;t forget to check out runnersneed.com, and to use &apos;backstraight&apos; for 15% off at the checkout. Here are the full Ts & Cs:*15% off is valid from 16th February 2021 to 30th April 2021 using the code backstraight and applies to full price products only at www.runnersneed.com and excludes electronics. The code does not work with any other offer or discount. The promotional code must be used at the basket stage to activate the discount.  Outdoor and Cycle Concepts Limited trading as Runners Need reserve the right to cancel this promotion at any time.

High Hopes, Closed Honey, and Dipped Sheep: What To Do About British Javelin Throwing, feat. Goldie Sayers and Steve Backley

Tom Bedford made it happen. Tim Hutchings will be on the mic. Tom Bosworth will be doing all that he can to finish... second? Intriguing.This one came together very last minute, but we couldn&apos;t not look ahead to the first Team GB Olympic trials event - taking place on the morning of March 26th at Kew Gardens, and available to watch on BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button, and the British Athletics website. Not. To. Be. Missed.A big thanks to all three of our guests, and to you lovely lot for tuning in.Enjoyed the listen? Leave us a review, and let us know in all the usual places: @BackstraightB and @Claire_GThomas on Twitter, or @BackstraightBoysPodcast on Instagram.Don&apos;t forget to check out runnersneed.com, and to use &apos;backstraight&apos; for 15% off at the checkout. Here are the full Ts & Cs:*15% off is valid from 16th February 2021 to 30th April 2021 using the code backstraight and applies to full price products only at www.runnersneed.com and excludes electronics. The code does not work with any other offer or discount. The promotional code must be used at the basket stage to activate the discount.  Outdoor and Cycle Concepts Limited trading as Runners Need reserve the right to cancel this promotion at any time.

Gardens, Gout, and Gunning for Second: Marathon & Race Walks Trials with Tim, Tom, and Tom

The second fastest of all time, and - if we&apos;re going by performances - the third, ninth, and tenth, too. Norway&apos;s all-conquering Viking horn-adorned superstar, Karsten Warholm, only took up the 400-metre hurdles a few years ago, but has come to dominate one of the highest quality events in the sport, and in real style. A huge presence on the start line, a rocket out of the blocks, an aggressive racer, and an effusive victor: he&apos;s got the personality to back up the pace, and - along with his smartphone-toting, caffeine-chugging, detail-nailing mastermind, Coach Leif - looks pretty unbeatable right now. Kevin Young&apos;s record is quaking in its spikes.The two-time World Champion looked nailed-on for Olympic gold, before Covid hit &apos;pause&apos; on all of our plans, but has been honing his craft away from the circuit (when he&apos;s not building lego castles, of course), and it was a delight - a proper delight - to catch up with him for this latest interview special.Enjoy the listen? Let us know by leaving us a review, or dropping us a line in all the usual places: @Claire_GThomas & @Backstraight B (Twitter), or @backstraightboyspodcast (Instagram).Thanks for stopping by xoxo

Lego Vikings, Leif Life, and Going Out Hard: Karsten Warholm Interview Special

You could be forgiven for thinking that this is the second instalment of our women&apos;s middle distance special -  70% of this episode is either us waxing lyrical about the tactical excellence of the British contingent in these events, or Jody&apos;s interview with the brilliant Holly Archer - but we do discuss other bits: promise!From Hannah England and Richard Kilty&apos;s analytical abilities, to the weeping Lavillenies, and back again via the piece of toast Torun employed as its mascot - our latest offering attempts to cover the 2021 European Indoor Championships, which were such an utter treat in these strange old times.Keely H is a star, Amelia Q is a new pod favourite, the DQs have been gratuitous, and Jodie W is now - officially - a 400-metre athlete.Oh, and gold star to Jody for nabbing European silver medalist Holly Archer for a really fascinating chat: she&apos;s a total delight, and we can&apos;t wait to see her use her gutsy run/wrestle as a springboard into Tokyo preparations.Enjoyed the listen? Leave us a review, and let us know in all the usual places: @BackstraightB and @Claire_GThomas on Twitter, or @BackstraightBoysPodcast on Instagram.Don&apos;t forget to check out runnersneed.com, and to use &apos;backstraight&apos; for 15% off at the checkout. Here are the full Ts & Cs:*15% off is valid from 16th February 2021 to 30th April 2021 using the code backstraight and applies to full price products only at www.runnersneed.com and excludes electronics. The code does not work with any other offer or discount. The promotional code must be used at the basket stage to activate the discount.  Outdoor and Cycle Concepts Limited trading as Runners Need reserve the right to cancel this promotion at any time.Lots of love (and gingerbread) -  Jody, Bayo, and Claire x

Tactics, Bar Stools, and (alleged) Gingerbread: Our European Indoor Champs Review - feat. Holly Archer

We say it so often, we might as well replace that part where Jody and Bayo forget their social media handles at the end  of each episode with this refrain, but: the British middle distance trials are going to be something else. Olympic qualifying standards are casually scattered up and down the domestic rankings, and we are truly spoilt for choice when it comes to world-class athletes over 800 and 1500 metres. In 2020, we had three women in the global top ten over 800 metres, and four in the metric mile. Laura Muir&apos;s so phenomenal that we no longer bat an eyelid when she runs sub-four minutes, and Jemma Reekie was breaking British indoor records for fun last winter. Keely Hodgkinson is the fastest teenager there&apos;s ever been over four laps of an indoor track, and there are some seriously speedy juniors nipping at her heels.With that in mind, we caught up with three of our favourites - Sarah McDonald, Melissa Courtney-Bryant, and Reekie - to discus this gloriously congested landscape of middle distance excellence.If you enjoy the episode, please do leave us a quick review or rating, and let us know in all the usual places: @BackstraightB and @Claire_GThomas on Twitter, or @BackstraightBoysPodcast on Instagram.Don&apos;t forget to check out runnersneed.com, and to use &apos;backstraight&apos; for 15% off at the checkout. Here are the full Ts & Cs:*15% off is valid from 16th February 2021 to 30th April 2021 using the code backstraight and applies to full price products only at www.runnersneed.com and excludes electronics. The code does not work with any other offer or discount. The promotional code must be used at the basket stage to activate the discount.  Outdoor and Cycle Concepts Limited trading as Runners Need reserve the right to cancel this promotion at any time.Thanks for listening.Jody, Bayo, and Claire

Jemma Reekie, Sarah McDonald, and Melissa Courtney-Bryant: Our British Women's Middle Distance Special

There&apos;s regular athletics back on our screens, which is heaven (cheerless cheerleaders in Lievin aside). With Euros just around the corner, we take a deep - far deeper than planned, as per - dive into the performances we&apos;ve enjoyed so far.From the absurdly talented Grant Holloway, to the fact that Laura Muir ran 3:59 and was beaten by six seconds. From the contrasting styles of two huge middle distance talents - Elliot Giles and Jakob Ingebrigsten  - to the gift that keeps on giving: the pole vault. Oh: and the handful of world records we&apos;ve seen. There are those, too.The crowning jewel this week is Claire&apos;s chat with Trayvon Bromell, who is back and better than ever. His world-leading 6.48 marks a return to form for the 2015 World medallist, who explains the struggles he&apos;s faced to be back at the summit of sprinting, and what motivates him each and every day. Bromell&apos;s passion is infectious, and we&apos;re thrilled that the men&apos;s 100 metres - for the first time since Bolt - is exciting once more, and full of  Bayo&apos;s three Cs: competition, charisma, and consistency. Might we see a Tumbleweed 1-2-3, come Tokyo?We also welcome along Sarah, the newest member of the team (spoiler alert: it&apos;s just Jody repeatedly forgetting Claire&apos;s name...), and apologise for the audio issues: we know there&apos;s some crackling here, and much more background noise than we&apos;d like. Won&apos;t happen again.Finally, here are the terms and conditions for our hugely exciting discount code, which you can redeem at runnersneed.com. We&apos;re over the moon to have such a wonderful brand on board, and very much appreciate their support.*15% off is valid from 16th February 2021 to 30th April 2021 using the code backstraight and applies to full price products only at www.runnersneed.com and excludes electronics. The code does not work with any other offer or discount. The promotional code must be used at the basket stage to activate the discount.  Outdoor and Cycle Concepts Limited trading as Runners Need reserve the right to cancel this promotion at any time.Thanks for listening, you lovely lot x

Competition, Charisma, and Consistency: Indoors So Far, feat. the World-Leading Trayvon Bromell

Join Jody, Bayo, and Claire each fortnight as they discuss athletics' hot topics, cover live events, and host stars of the sport in longer interview specials. Hit 'subscribe', give us a rating, and join in the conversation on Twitter: @BackstraightB and @Claire_GThomas.

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Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat

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