Track Sporting Icon Dies at 81

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Publication by EssentiallySports

August 18, 2026 | Edition #673

Hey Athletic Fans,

This edition opens with sad news as a sporting icon who'd been battling illness has passed away at 81, coming just as the track and field world was still mourning the loss of one of its own Olympic legends. Our thoughts are with everyone affected.

All that and more in today's edition of Essentially Athletics.






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Do you think older Olympians should get opportunities like RAF?

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Michael Phelps honored icon Diana Taurasi's as Phoenix Mercury retired her jersey and inducted her into the Ring of Honor. Watch below 👇


On this day in 2004, Team USA’s Natalie Coughlin, Carly Piper, Dana Vollmer, and Kaitlin Sandeno finally erased swimming's oldest world record. The 4x200m freestyle mark had been held by East Germany for 17 years until that point.

Coughlin's blistering leadoff split of 1:57.74 alone would have beaten the winning time in that year's individual 200m freestyle final. The team's final mark of 7:53.42 sliced over two seconds off the old record.


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