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4-Year Banned Track Star Signs Brand Deal
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Publication by EssentiallySports | September 18, 2026 | Edition #719 |
Hey Athletic Fans,
A once-banned track star just landed a brand deal that would've seemed unthinkable not long ago. A year after serving a four-year doping suspension, she's back with a shoe company for the first time since the ban hit.
Also today, an Olympian who lost her Nike deal after having a baby is now channeling that experience into a fight for athlete-moms everywhere.
All that and more in today’s edition of Essentially Athletics.
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Should Skechers have extended a deal to Shelby Houlihan despite her controversial doping ban? |
Marijn van den Berg launched his sprint from far out in Junglinster and held off a fast-closing Mathieu van der Poel, who could only manage fifth, denying the Dutchman back-to-back stage wins and snatching the race lead. Watch below 👇
Athlos founder Alexis Ohanian personally announced the cancellation of the entire New York City meet in a video statement last month. He told fans directly, "I want to make sure you heard this from me and not some random tweet?”
The decision leaves the September 18th London debut as Athlos' entire 2026 season. The official reason: the NYC date, originally set for October 2nd, fell too close after both the Diamond League finale and the World Ultimate Championships, raising real doubts about whether athletes could peak again that late in the year.
Even after pulling the plug, Athlos still owes $75,000 of its required stadium deposit to the nonprofit that runs Randall's Island — a bill it's paying in full despite the no-show, with Ohanian promising a return to New York in 2027.
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