Olympic Channel Podcast

The 11-time world champion surfer still has a chance to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The Olympic Channel Podcast sat down with surfing legend Kelly Slater to look back his career which has stretched out for nearly 30 years.

Battling cyclones, family deaths, relationship problems, and mysterious magic curses – Ben Ryan’s time in charge of Fiji’s men’s 7s team was truly inspirational. He gives insight into the difficulties he faced and also how he had to develop his own mindset to draw out the best from his players.LINKS:Ben Ryan TwitterAndrew Binner TwitterEd Knowles TwitterOlympic Channel Instagram

The 400m runner Salwa Eid Naser took a silver medal at the Youth Olympics in 2014 wearing a hijab and a full body suit. Fast forward to her incredible performance at the 2019 World Athletics Championships – she wasn’t wearing a hijab but now has nine tattoos and five piercings.“I don’t really care what people think. It’s my life and I do what I want.”LINKS:Salwa Eid Naser InstagramOlympic Channel InstagramEvelyn Watta TwitterEd Knowles TwitterThe consequences of the Caster Semenya ruling

Team GB hockey captain Kate Richardson-Walsh had a year from hell in 2014. “I started to ask myself some really big life questions. Why am I here? What is my value?” After breaking her jaw in the first game of the 2012 Olympics, she took a bronze medal on home soil. The quest for an Olympic gold seemed to be impossible after a disappointing performance in the 2014 World Cup. But the team did become champions at Rio 2016. So, how did she make her dreams come true? LINKS:Kate Richardson-Walsh Instagram David Childs Twitter Ed Knowles Twitter Olympic Channel Instagram Jordan Burroughs episode

US long jumper Lacey Henderson seemed like a dead cert for Rio 2016. But some personal issues came up and her performance dipped. A phone call when she was on holiday completely changed her life - and her outlook. Lacey is an amputee cancer survivor with a wicked sense of humour. She shares her story ahead of the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai.LINKS:Lacey’s InstagramLacey’s podcastOlympic Channel InstagramEd Knowles’ Twitter

Two Olympians were invited by Olympic Channel to run in the North Korean capital. Winter athletes Aimee Fuller and Mirjam Jaeger took to the rarely seen Pyongyang streets as the city opened its doors for an internationally-recognised marathon. The podcast explores how the trip came about, what the two women took from the experience, and future hopes.LINKS:Running in North Korea full documentaryAimee Fuller InstagramMirjam Jaeger InstagramEd Knowles TwitterUSA artistic swimming episode

He was challenging for the world title in 2015 when Owen Wright’s world changed forever. The Australian suffered a severe concussion that meant bleeding on his brain. It’s been a long and difficult road to recover but, now, he’s a contender for the team at Tokyo 2020 after winning a WSL event in Tahiti.Links:Owen Wright on InstagramOlympic Channel on InstagramEd Knowles on TwitterAshlee Tulloch on TwitterWhy skateboarding will be awesome at Tokyo 2020 

Two figure skating legends on one Olympic Channel Podcast. From his tough times in his coach’s basement to becoming a cultural icon, Olympic champion Meryl Davis speaks to her friend and USA teammate Adam Rippon about his epic life story.LINKS:Meryl Davis on InstagramAdam Rippon on InstagramEd Knowles on TwitterOlympic Channel on InstagramMirai Nagasu episode

She was the second woman to score a 'Perfect 10' at the Olympic Games.Now, Nellie Kim is a senior judge in gymnastics – it’s her job to analyse just how perfect things really are.The Olympic Channel spoke to the five-time Olympic champion about Simone Biles, the wider gymnastic field, and her own Perfect 10 experience.LINKS:Olympic Channel on TwitterAll Around episode threeEd Knowles on Twitter

She was the only athlete to compete for Russia in either track or field at Rio 2016.Her Olympic experience was not enjoyable.Darya Klishna had to take a break from long jumping in 2018 to recover mentally.The Olympic Channel Podcast spoke to her as she prepares for action at the IAAF World Championships in Doha.LINKS:Darya Klishna on InstagramOlympic Channel on InstagramEd Knowles on TwitterThe consequences of the Caster Semenya ruling

Double Olympic champion South African 800m runner Caster Semenya won’t be at the IAAF World Championships in Doha.New rules means athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) can’t compete in the 400m, 800m, and the 1500m. The three athletes who took Olympic medals home from Rio 2016 are all affected by the regulations. In this episode, Olympic medallists Margaret Nyairera Wambui and Francine Niyonsaba tell their stories.With world exclusive interviews, we’ve travelled the globe to track down people affected by this important legal case.

Two-time Olympian and five-time French national champion Mae-Berenice Meite captured the world’s attention by skating to Beyonce at PyeongChang 2018.But her complicated relationship with her body meant she sometimes couldn’t enjoy her career.“I didn’t like my body.“I got lost for a very long time… now I have more of purpose.”Mae also talks about her friend Adam Rippon, Yuzuru Hanyu, quads, and Evgenia Medvedeva.LINKSMae-Berenice Meite InstagramEd Knowles TwitterOlympic Channel InstagramAnatomy Of… episodeEvgenia Medvedeva and Jason Brown talk to Meryl DaviesThe tears behind the triple axel triumph with Mirai Nagasu 

U.S. wrestler Jordan Burroughs joins viral gymnast Katelyn Ohashi for an in-depth chat.Jordan won Olympic gold in 2012 but suffered a huge shock at Rio 2016 when he came away empty handed.The pair talk what defines success and failure and why he’s gunning for glory in a different manner now.LINKSJordan Burroughs InstagramKatelyn Ohashi InstagramEd Knowles TwitterOlympic Channel InstagramSimone Biles PodcastEverything you need to know about the 2019 Wrestling World Championships

British boxer Frazer Clarke missed out on the Olympics in 2012 and 2016. Now, after being stabbed three times in 2016, he has a renewed focus and determination. He aims to continue the success of British Olympic medallists Anthony Joshua and Joe Joyce in the superheavyweight division.LINKS:Frazer Clarke InstagramAlessandro Poggi TwitterEd Knowles TwitterOlympic Channel InstagramRamla Ali podcast episodeJoe Joyce Sports Swap

He’s broken over 15 bones, ruptured his spleen, and suffered several concussions. Tory Nyhaug still wants to get his hands on an Olympic medal. With anxiety so bad he literally felt like his skin was ‘on fire’, the Canadian BMX racer opens up about depression and his hopes for Tokyo 2020.LINKS:Tory Nyhaug InstagramEd Knowles TwitterIs It Possible?

We caught up with the history-making four-time Olympic champion gymnast Simone Biles at her gym in Houston for an exclusive interview. We also spoke to Olympic champ Nastia Liukin about why she thinks Biles is the greatest of all time.LINKS:Simone Biles InstagramNastia Liukin InstagramScott Bregman TwitterEd Knowles TwitterKristie Phillips episodeAll Around episode 1Subcribe to the podcast

You have to be pretty fearless to climb up the 900m of El Capitan without any ropes. Alex Honnold from the Oscar-winning documentary ‘Free Solo’ joined the Olympic Channel Podcast to talk climbing at the Olympics, how to manage risk, and what really scares him. “If you fall off the wall, you're going to die… “I think that when people see a photo of El Cap (they think it’s) risky. That's not the right way to look at it. It's extremely high consequence.” LINKS:Alex Honnold InstagramEd Knowles TwitterOlympic Channel InstagramEverything you need to know about the Climbing World ChampionshipsGymnast Katelyn Ohashi episodeFree Solo trailerDawn Wall trailer

In 1986, there was a Sports Illustrated cover. In 1987, there was a U.S. national title. In 1988, the world expected to see Kristie Phillips at the Olympic Games. It never happened. The media speculated it was because she had gained weight.Distraught and devastated, she stepped away from the sport for nearly a decade. In the end, Phillips returned to competition, made her peace with the sport, and now is a respected gymnastics judge.On the eve of the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Scott Bregman spoke to Kristie about the 1988 drama, why Simone Biles is the best of all time, and what looks out for as a judge in gymnastics.LINKS:The amazing first episode of All AroundOlympic Channel on TwitterEd Knowles on TwitterScott Bregman on TwitterWhat you need to know about the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championships

With just 12 months to go until Tokyo 2020, we set ourselves a task. How many interviews can you squeeze into a podcast? The Olympic Channel Podcast went to New York with UCLA gymnast and viral sensation Katelyn Ohashi. In a crazy day, we spoke to Ali Krieger, Ashlyn Harris, Tom Schaar, Brighton Zeuner, Ashima Shiraishi, Alex Johnson, Foluke Akinradewo Gunderson, and Naya Tapper.LINKS:Katelyn Ohashi InstagramEd Knowles TwitterOlympic Channel InstagramFree Solo trailerTry our Instagram filter

It’s officially one year to go until Tokyo 2020. We invited Olympic champion pole vaulter from Greece Katerina Stefanidi on the podcast with her husband and coach Mitchell Krier. We spoke about how they met, why Katerina struggles with self-belief, and her plans for the World Championships in Doha. Plus, we put their dedication to each other to the test with a game about her star sign. LINKS:Katerina Stefanidi on InstagramMitch Krier on InstagramOlympic Channel on InstagramEd Knowles on TwitterDashawn Jordan episodeTokyo 2020 #1YearToGo