Lemonade and Tigers’ Eyes

Photo of Sage Hurta-Klecker from the 2023 Millrose Games. Taken by Ryan Sterner

“The Revenge Tour Begins”

That was Joe Klecker’s IG story caption shouting out his wife, Sage Hurta-Klecker’s 1:58.09 4th place finish at the Silesia Diamond League meeting. It was a “watch this space” because the man knows his partner and how she deals with adversity, using the lemon juice to disinfect her wounds.

Sage placed 4th at the US Championships and missed out on a spot to compete at Worlds in Budapest by 1 spot. It happens frequently in the US that worthy championship contenders miss the chance to compete for medals because of the sheer depth of talent in the states. The US hosts a meet to compete for the top 3 spots to send to the big dance in each event because, more often than not, there are more than 3 athletes who have hit the auto requirements to compete at WCs. Athletes in most other countries have the luxury of simply hitting an auto standard and knowing that their path to World’s is clear because no one else from their country will also achieve the mark. Some events in the US are so incredibly stacked that if someone makes the team, not only are they instantly a contender for a medal, but they have also eliminated a top competitor for a medal spot by nature of occupying a spot that would have been occupied by a real threat.

But Worlds, however large it looms over our sport presently is still only one meet.

There have been many examples in real life and fiction of people ‘failing’ to then wake up the next day either having the weight lifted from them or even to have the sting of defeat galvanize them to turn a setback into a string of successes. A tear if you will. Some call it the eye of the tiger. The propping up of a lemonade stand.

In 2021, Kate Grace finished 7th in the Olympic Trials. She then went on to have one of the best summers in American 800m running history, winning 2 Diamond League races, running 1:57 4 times and placing 2nd in the Diamond League Final. She also toured some of the world’s most beautiful cities while doing the thing she loved.  She did this while many who made the Olympic team quarantined to compete in Tokyo in front of an empty stadium.

In this sport, with so much emphasis placed on so few meets, the line between success and failure can be razor thin. 4th place is hardly a failure, but as the difference between making a team and not, it can break a season… if you let it.

Or, like Sage in Silesia and Cooper Teare running 3:33 to win in Heusden and Emily Mackay winning in 3:59.99 in Marseille, you can define success for yourself. Face to face, out in the heat. Hanging tough, staying hungry.

It isn’t out of the question that one day, maybe soon, runners who are capable will forego their opportunity to make Worlds altogether in favor of writing their own stories, racing more in beautiful cities, wearing the singlets of their sponsors and teams and making money. One could argue that this type of targeted visibility would be more valuable to sponsors than one meet where they may fall out in the rounds. I hope athletes will continue to participate in the World Championships and the Olympics even if more profitable, visible and connected prospects become readily available, because I too am a sucker for tradition, but this shift would be a significant step in professionalizing the sport. But that’s a discussion for another day.

I’ll leave you with this-

The winner of the Tour de France takes home 500,000 euros.

The winner of a TDF stage nets 11,000 euros.

…The winner of the Cycling World Championships takes home 8,000 euros.

I have only ever watched the cycling world championships once but watch each stage of the Tour religiously every summer. I watched the WCs because I wanted to see how my favorite riders from the Tour would fare.

Top riders still take part in the World Champs out of love of country, but we know where their focus lies and that’s ok! Amateurism reaches a special place in our hearts but a capitalistic approach to competitive sports draws eyes and rewards athletes who can deliver consistently, and more of them. They can exist as separate meets and systems and still both contribute to an individual’s athletic story.

Viva la Revenge Tour Sage! Make them pay!