Shafiqua Maloney

“I had to really sit down and look at the journey, how far I’ve come, what I was able to accomplish in such a short time in my opinion, and just everything that I went through. It doesn’t haunt me. Like I said, I'm a graceful loser. But I'm training and I'm doing the work to make sure that if I'm ever in that position again – we'll see!”

My guest for today's episode is Shafiqua Maloney, a name that maybe most track and field fans don't know, but should. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she made history as the first athlete from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to reach an Olympic final and finish fourth in the women's 800m, but her journey to that starting line was anything but easy.

In the past few years, Shafiqua has faced struggles that most athletes never talk about – months of homelessness, the constant battle of pursuing an elite career without a sponsor or financial stability. Yet through it all, she never gave up. With the unwavering support of her mother, her coach, and her faith, she found a way to persevere and it all came together in Paris where she ran 1:57 on the biggest stage in the sport.

Today, we talk about how she fought through those times, what it means to represent her country on such a big stage, and what comes next for an athlete determined to keep proving she belongs among the world's best. She'll be one of the headliners for the 2025 Millrose Games on February 8th in New York City. If you're in the area, get your tickets now.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram 

Guest: Shafiqua Maloney | @shaf400mx2 on Instagram

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Today’s excitement was off the charts! Day three’s events were a rollercoaster of thrills, but stealing the spotlight was the men’s 100m final – a race that had fans across the world on the edge of their seats from start to finish. In today’s edition of Torch Talk, we recap…

– Noah Lyles wins the first Olympic gold of his career by taking the 100m crown over Jamaica's Kishane Thompson. Both men ran 9.79 and the gold was decided by thousandths-of-a-second. American Fred Kerley came through for bronze in 9.81.

– World record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh won her first Olympic high jump title with a mark of 2.00m. Australia's Nicola Olyslagers won her second straight Olympic silver, while Iryna Gershchenko and Eleanor Patterson tied on countback for the bronze medal.

– Ethan Katzberg won the Olympic gold in the men's hammer with a mark of 84.12m, the second-best mark in Olympic history. It was the largest margin of victory since 1920. Hungary's Bence Halasz took silver and Ukraine's Mykhaylo Kokhan took bronze.

– Grant Holloway posted the fastest time of the Olympic 110m hurdles qualifying by a HUGE margin, clocking a 13.01 to win his heat by 0.41 seconds.

– The women’s 800m finalists were determined: Keely Hodgkinson, Tsige Duguma, Prudence Sekgodiso, Shafiqua Maloney, Juliette Whittaker, Rénelle Lamote, Mary Moraa, and Worknesh Mesele.

– The men’s 1500m finalists were determined: Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Josh Kerr, Cole Hocker, Brian Komen, Stefan Nillessen, Pietro Arese, Yared Nuguse, Hobbs Kessler, Neil Gourley, Niels Laros, Timothy Cheruiyot, and Narve Gilje Nordås.

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HOSTS:

Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mac Fleet | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@macfleet on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mitch Dyer | ⁠@metchosketch on Instagram⁠

Eric Jenkins | @_ericjenkins on Instagram

Aisha Praught Leer | @aishapraughtleer on Instagram

Katelyn Hutchison | @_kxnaomi on Instagram

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