"But I figured if I hung with them long enough and just kind of was brave, something good would come from it." "They're the best in the world," Seidel said. She said her goal was to be the person who would cause the leaders to look around late in the race, see her and think "who the hell is this girl?" In Saturday's race, Seidel kept with the lead pack for almost the entirety of the race, hanging on as others began to fall behind. 2019, then proceeded to finish second at trials in what was her marathon debut. Olympic trials in Atlanta with a half-marathon time from Dec. "Everything about getting to the start line of this race has been crazy," Seidel said, "and that was just another little bit of crazy thrown in there."Ī Wisconsin native, Seidel grew up running 5k and 10k races before deciding to give the marathon a try.
She said she essentially left dinner and went straight to bed. While she knew the earlier start would allow for cooler weather, it also forced Seidel to alter her race plan at the 11th hour. "I think my jaw dropped a little bit," she said. Seidel said she was eating dinner with Kipyego on Friday when they received word about the change. Organizers also announced late Friday that the start time would be moved up an hour, from 7 a.m. The Olympic marathon was held in Sapporo – about 500 miles north of Tokyo – due to concerns about extreme heat. trials, dropped out about halfway through the race, with her team citing an injury in a post on social media. TEXT WITH US AT TOKYO OLYMPICS: Subscribe to texts, where we’ll be your official guide to the Gamesįellow American Sally Kipyego finished 17th on Saturday. INSIDE SCOOP IN TOKYO: Subscribe to our Olympic newsletter now LIVE UPDATES: Follow the action from Day 15 of the Tokyo Olympics "She's running with experience that she, quite frankly, doesn't have," NBC analyst Kara Goucher said during Saturday's broadcast.Īmerican Molly Seidel reacts after winning the bronze medal in the women's marathon at the Tokyo Olympics.
Although she won four NCAA championships at Notre Dame in cross country and track, the marathon is still a relatively unfamiliar distance for her. Olympic trials in Atlanta, almost 18 months ago.įew people expected her to even make Team USA, let alone contend for a medal.
Seidel's performance in Sapporo was remniscient of her similarly stunning race at the U.S. Kenyans Peres Jepchirchir and Brigid Kosgei finished first and second in Saturday's race, respectively. Joan Benoit won gold in the event in Los Angeles in 1984, and Deena Kastor took bronze in Athens in 2004. Seidel, who splits her time between Boston and Flagstaff, Arizona, is just the third American woman to ever medal in the women's marathon. The women's marathon medalists of the #TokyoOlympics!
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