“When I saw the time, I was like, ‘I did that. We are back. I’m me again…’ It felt so good to be like, ‘I’m back and doing things as good as I know how to do them, which I haven’t done in a while. It felt really good!”
My guest for today's episode is one of the most electrifying athletes in track and field right now: Anna Hall. The two-time decathlon Olympic champion Ashton Eaton went as far as to say that she might be one of the best athletes on earth right now.
Just days after winning the Hypomeeting in Götzis with 7,032 points, Hall now sits second on the all-time heptathlon list, tied with Carolina Kluft and trailing only her mentor, the great Jackie Joyner-Kersee. That mark was achieved with four personal bests, including a gutsy 2:01 in the 800m – a reminder that the final event of the heptathlon was more than a win. It was a comeback statement after last summer's heartbreaking fifth place finish at the Paris Olympics.
In this conversation, Anna opens up about the emotional weight of that Olympic result, the rehab process after knee surgery, and how this performance in Austria healed her. We also talk about what it means to chase a legend and have such a close connection with someone like Jackie Joyner-Kersee, the mental and physical toll of the heptathlon, and what's next as she eyes a potential world title this fall.
She's looking to become just the second American to win gold in the heptathlon after Jackie Joyner-Kersee won in 1987 and 1993. Anna is the kind of athlete who competes with heart, guts, and joy.
Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram
Guest: Anna Hall | @annaa.hall on Instagram
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