American runner Shelby Houlihan returned to the big stage after a much-debated four-year doping ban and won a silver medal in the 3,000 meters at the world indoor championships.
The U.S. record holder at 1,500 meters and former record holder in the 5,000 sat out the Paris Olympics because she tested positive after eating a burrito she claimed was tainted with a performance-enhancing drug. The 32-year-old runner said she was flooded with a range of emotions after her second-place finish Saturday.
“It's been a long journey,” Houlihan said in an interview with letsrun.com. “I'm excited for today and now, but also kind of grieving the past a bit. It’s just been a real tough journey.”
In the lead-up to Olympic trials in 2021, Houlihan revealed she had tested positive for nandralone and claimed it came from a tainted pork burrito she'd bought from a Mexican food truck. A slew of appeals ensued, but Houlihan's argument was ultimately rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Houlihan's case divided the track and anti-doping world, mainly because many elements of it were similar to “no fault” cases that often result in athletes receiving little or no penalty. Houlihan, whose case was prosecuted by the international Athletics Integrity Unit, received no such leniency and was forced to spend the prime of her career on the sideline.
After her second-place finish in Nanjing, China, she reflected on the journey that led to her comeback. She said her first year out of the sport was the most difficult.
“Getting used to completely trying to create a new normal,” Houlihan said. “Running had been part of my life since I was 5, so who am I without this? I didn't know. (I felt) totally crumbled and trying to rebuild myself back up.”
She said “a ton of anger” was driving her at the time, but she realized that was no way to move forward.
Houlihan said she's hopeful her success at the worlds in China might lead to her landing a sponsor. World outdoor championships are in September, when Houlihan could shape up to be a factor in the 1,500 or 5,000.
“It got to a point where I was just like, ‘I don’t want to give up because I feel like I'll always wonder what could have been,'” Houlihan said. “And then I feel like I still have more to prove. I feel like the best is yet to come for myself and I wanted to see that through and not let someone else decide.”
