Shelby Houlihan, former US Olympic runner, back on podium 4 years after tainted burrito controversy led to ban
Houlihan won a silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in the 3,000-meter event in Nanjing, China. She was unable to compete in the Tokyo Olympics and the Paris Olympics because she tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Houlihan claimed at the time the positive test was a result of a tainted pork burrito she bought from a Mexican food truck.
"It's been a long journey," she told Let's Run. "I'm excited for today and now, but also kind of grieving the past a bit. It's just been a real tough journey."
Houlihan is the U.S. record holder at 1,500 meters and the former record holder in the 5,000-meter event. Her 2021 appeal of her ban was moved to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but was ultimately rejected.
However, the case kicked off a debate in the sport and anti-doping world as the elements were similar to other "no fault" cases that resulted in little or no penalty.
Houlihan's punishment ultimately cost her a trip to Paris for the Olympics and she now has to work twice as hard to get ready for a potential appearance in Los Angeles in 2028.
"Getting used to completely trying to create a new normal," Houlihan said. "Running had been part of my life since I was 5, so who am I without this? I didn't know. (I felt) totally crumbled and trying to rebuild myself back up."
The 32-year-old Iowa native said she hoped her success could lead to a sponsor. The world outdoor championships are set for September.
"It got to a point where I was just like, 'I don't want to give up because I feel like I'll always wonder what could have been,'" she said. "And then I feel like I still have more to prove. I feel like the best is yet to come for myself and I wanted to see that through and not let someone else decide."
Houlihan was eligible to compete again in January and made her return to the track last month at the Razorback Invitational in Arkansas. She won the indoor 3,000-meter race.
Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The secret to Sparks star Cameron Brink's success after her ACL injury? Vision boards
Each morning before Cameron Brink pulls on her Sparks jersey, she scans a taped-up collage in her closet. Olympic rings, a WNBA All-Star crest, snapshots with her fiancé and a scatter of Etsy trinkets crowd the board. The canvas is a handmade constellation of who Brink is and who she longs to be. Between magazine clippings and scribbled affirmations, Brink sees both the grand arc and the small vows that tether her: to show up as a teammate, a daughter and a partner. 'You have a choice every day to have a good outlook or a bad outlook,' said Brink, the Sparks' starting forward. 'I try to choose every day to be positive.' That choice seemed to matter most when the future felt furthest away. The practice emerged in the thick of a 13-month recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Brink — the Stanford star and Sparks No. 2 draft pick — was forced to measure life in the tiniest ticks of progress after injuring her left knee a month into the 2024 season. Sparks veteran Dearica Hamby recognized how rehab was grinding down the rookie. One afternoon, she invited Brink to her home, where the dining table was set with scissors, glue sticks, stacks of magazines and knickknacks. 'I've always been taught growing up that your mind is your biggest power,' Brink said. 'So I've always been open to stuff like that. I heavily believe in manifesting what you want and powering a positive mindset.' Hamby had been building vision boards for years and believed Brink could use the same practice — both as a pastime and as a mechanism to combat the doubts that surfaced during her lengthy and often lonely rehab. 'If she can visualize it, she can train her mind the opposite of her negative thoughts and feelings,' Hamby said. 'When you see it, you can believe it. Your brain is constantly feeding itself. And if you have something in the back — those doubts — you need something to counter that.' Read more: Cameron Brink returns but Aces end Sparks' winning streak The board dearest to Brink wasn't crowded with stats or accolades. She crafted what she calls her 'wonderful life,' layering in snapshots of her fiancé, Ben Felter, and framed by symbols of family and team. 'You're a product of your mind,' Brink said. 'Everything in my life, I feel like I've fought and been intentional about.' Fighting was what the year demanded. However inspiring the boards looked taped inside her closet, the reality was gradual and often merciless. From the night she was carried off the court last June to the ovation that greeted her return in July, Brink's progress unfolded in inches — from the day she could stand, to the day she could walk to the day she touched the hardwood again. 'It's been such a journey,' Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. 'Cam's mentality was just trying not to freak out. She was really focused on not being anxious about it.' Brink came to practice with her game on a leash, her activity hemmed in by doctors' timelines. While teammates scrimmaged, she studied sets from the sidelines. Roberts praised her patient attitude as 'great,' a skill Brink sharpened by the ritual of opening her closet and trusting the journey. Kim Hollingdale, the Sparks' psychotherapist, worked closely with Brink during her recovery. While bound by confidentiality, she spoke to how manifestation tools can anchor an athlete through the mental strain of long recovery. Read more: For three Sparks rookies, the WNBA journey is one of uncertainty and promise 'Being able to stay in touch with where we're ultimately trying to get to can help on those days when it's feeling crappy,' Hollingdale said. 'Visualization helps us be like, 'OK, look, we're still heading to that vision. This is part of the journey.' It gives purpose, direction and a little hope when you're in the mud of recovery.' That sense of purpose, she added, is about giving the brain something familiar to return to when progress stalls — a way for the mind to rehearse what the legs can't. For Brink, that meant keeping her game alive in pictures she ran through her head. Putbacks in the paint became reruns in her mind, and Hollingdale said the brain scarcely knows the difference: If it sees it vividly enough, the muscles prime themselves as if the movement truly happened. What mattered wasn't just mechanics. Tuning out noise became essential as Brink was cleared to return as a WNBA sophomore by calendar yet a rookie by experience. What could have been crushing pressure was dimmed by the vision boards — the 'mental rehearsal,' as Hollingdale labeled it. 'I didn't want to focus on stat lines or accolades coming back from injury,' Brink said. 'I learned the importance of enjoying being out there, controlling what I can control, always having a good attitude — that's what I reframed my mindset to be about.' During Brink's return against the Las Vegas Aces on July 29, she snared an offensive rebound and splashed a three-pointer within the first minute. And since, she has posted 5.9 points and four rebounds an outing, headlined by a 14-point performance through 11 minutes against Seattle. Hollingdale tabbed Brink's return a rarity. She often prepares athletes to weather the gauntlet of 'firsts' — the first shot that clangs, the first whistle, the first crowd cheer — without expecting much beyond survival. But upon Brink's return, those firsts weren't looming unknowns. They were rehearsed memories. 'That is a testament to her being able to manage herself, her emotions and her anxiety and all the stress and pressure,' Hollingdale said. 'To come out and make a meaningful difference to your team straight away speaks to the ability to stay locked in and cut out the noise.' By refusing to sprint through recovery, Hamby said Brink insulated herself from the pressure that shadows young stars. The vision boards, Hamby added, became a tangible expression of Brink's decision to trust herself. Read more: WNBA motherhood: The balancing act between career and kids 'She's done it differently,' Hamby said. 'For her, it's more of a mental thing than a physical thing. She took her time, not listening to people tell her she should have been back sooner.' When Brink shuts the closet door and heads to Arena for game day, she's already spent the morning tracing the steps of the night. On the next blank corner of her canvas? 'Being an All-Star and going to the Olympics,' she said. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
📸 Just 16 years old, Mexico celebrates Gilberto Mora's brilliant form
The Mexican gem continues to shine and inspire with his good performance. At 16 years old, he is an important player for the Xolos of Tijuana and in today's victory over Pachuca, he made his presence felt on the scoreboard with a header goal. His good moment inspires the fans and the Mexican national strategist, who less than a year from the World Cup will have a different player in his squad. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 Agustin Cuevas - 2025 Getty Images
San Francisco Chronicle
9 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Lionel Messi has goal and assist in return from injury
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi returned from injury for Inter Miami to chants of 'Messi! Messi! Messi!' in a 3-1 win over the the LA Galaxy on Saturday. It was the magic defender Maximiliano Falcón said the team has come to expect. 'We're used to this. You saw what he did, got the ball with a clear look at goal and scored,' Falcón said in Spanish. Even after a two game absence it was no surprise that Messi, MLS' top goal scorer, led Inter Miami to victory. He had been training with the team since midweek and coach Javier Mascherano confirmed he would be available for the weekend match. The Argentine superstar put in a 45 minute shift and his countryman Rodrigo de Paul assisted him as they beat the worst team in MLS. The two world champions did not participate in pregame warmups, but they did warm up before they entered the game at halftime to the raucous cheers of Miami fans. Messi injured his hamstring on Aug. 2 against Necaxa in a Leagues Cup match. Inter Miami reached the Leagues Cup quarterfinals without him, but were defeated by instate rivals Orlando City 4-1 in MLS action. Besides his ability, it's Messi's competitive attitude that transcends this Miami squad according to Mascherano. 'He wants to play every single game. He wanted to play in Orlando also. You have to understand why Leo is Leo, because he always wants to be on the pitch,' Mascherano said after the win over Galaxy. Messi's return comes at an important time, before his squad takes on eight-time Mexican champions Tigres UANL in South Florida on Wednesday. LA Galaxy, the reigning 2024 MLS Cup Champions, also looked at this Saturday's game as a chance to rotate their squad ahead of their Leagues Cup quarterfinal match against C.F. Pachuca. ___
