TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More! - TheFinalSprint.com is the Premier Destination for Track & Field, Marathon, Cross Country, Olympic and Road Racing Enthusiasts.

Click Here for TFS's Track & Field Coverage from the 2008 Beijing Olympics!

Lead Stories: Sunday, September 7, 2008

Nike assembles all-star cast calling for equality in women’s sports

Posted August 28th, 2007 at 10:20 AM by Martha Jones

Section: News & Results, Columns, SPOTLIGHT

Today, Nike launched its multi-platform campaign, “ATHLETE,” featuring world-class athletes Mia Hamm, Gabby Reece, Picabo Street, and Serena Williams, among others, demanding that female athletes everywhere be respected and judged on their athletic abilities. After speaking with young female athletes across the United States, Nike found they still feel “unequal” when it comes to being respected in sports.

“I am an ATHLETE,” Mia Hamm defiantly states before streetballer Alvina Carroll closes the spot saying … “It’s not a girl thing. It’s not a boy thing. It’s a skills thing.”

It is a conversation that Nike has elevated in various ways during the past 35 years with campaigns such as “Let Me Play”, and yet, we are continually reminded that disrespect and inequality continue to permeate the sports landscape.

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: HerActiveLife.com

One comment, add yours | Permalink

Podcast 21: Interview with Tommie Smith, Olympic sprinter & civil rights activist

Posted February 27th, 2007 at 2:03 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

I had the honor of being joined by Olympic gold medalist Tommie Smith for Episode 21 of The Final Sprint Podcast.

Tommie is the only man in track and field history to simultaneously hold eleven world records and, among his many other accomplishments, won a gold medal in the 200m at the 1968 Olympic Games.

Standing on the victory podium at the ‘68 Olympics, with the Star Spangled Banner playing in the background, Tommie and fellow American John Carlos (who won the bronze) thrust their fists into the air in the name of human rights and as a symbolic protest against racial inequality. [pictured above]

In the interview, I speak with Tommie about his new autobiography, “Silent Gesture” from Temple University Press, and he reflects on, and dispels the myths surrounding, this iconic and controversial moment in history.

Download the podcast to hear Tommie discuss these topics, being an elite African American athlete during the civil rights movement, the current state of American running, equality in the 21st century, being an educator and coach, his advice for the younger generations of runners and much more!

Listen In
[MP3] Direct Download (Right click, select “save as”).
[RSS] Add The Final Sprint Podcast RSS feed to your RSS reader to have the show delivered to you

Host: Adam Jacobs
Guest: Dr. Tommie Smith
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 19.8MB
Length: 00:28:54