#250 June 20th, 2022 [Legacy of Speed]

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As you read this, teenage sprinter Erriyon Knighton is training to shave fractions of a second off his time in pursuit of another world record. Like every running athlete, he didn’t do it all by himself. Usain Bolt was crowned the fastest human alive after years of practice and perseverance. Before him, Donovan Bailey and Michael Johnson introduced a whole new generation to the sport when they took to the track with their explosive speeds.

Needless to say, dedicating yourself to becoming the fastest human on the planet is impressive. Despite these men being separated by decades (and at times fractions of a second), it can be said they share an important influence – The 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City where Tommie Smith and John Carlos stood atop the winners' podium with their fists in the air.

On Legacy Of Speed, competitive runner (yep, he runs too!) Malcolm Gladwell traces a through-line from coach Bud Winter’s then-unorthodox coaching style, through that iconic moment in history, and onto modern-day sports where athletes have a global platform they can put to use, should they choose.

San Jose State’s Speed City era was defined by a new way of running. At least it was new for the times. At the time, athletes were told to give it their all, that they would never win if they weren’t showing their effort on the track.

Bud Winter challenged that idea by coaching his runners to relax and win. The approach was informed by post-World War II fighter pilot training where, under incredible pressure, pilots became most effective when they let go of their tensions and let pressures subside.

Throughout this six-episode series, we learn about another important figure – Dr. Harry Edwards, author of The Revolt of the Black Athlete and mentor to Smith and Carlos, and more recently to Colin Kaepernick.

That iconic moment in history was about more than just sport. Activism doesn't get a rest day and activist athletes are here to remind us of that, win or lose.

Have a listen and let us know what you think.

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