Description

This week on The Feist, the marathon world record holder gets slapped with a three-year ban. What's to be done about doping?

First, the women's sports highlights this week & what we're watching:

• How did we not realize it was the Gymnastic World Championships? The U.S. had its least medal haul since 2006 and a lot of big names were missing — but a world championship is still a world championship.
• Swimming world records dropped in Toronto, including Katie Ledecky's 800m record and the first woman ever under 50 seconds in the 100m free.
• Four more years of the Tour de France Femmes! (Thanks, Zwift!) And the women finally get Mont Ventoux.
• And why did Kelly have weird stress dreams about running the New York Marathon this weekend? When she's definitely not running the New York Marathon this weekend.

Then, we have a voicemail from our Feisty correspondent with all the details about the Northern Super League playoffs.

And an interview with Mithali Das, who regionally coordinates the women's programs for USA Cricket — and is here to answer all of our Cricket World Cup questions: Why are games eight hours? How is the women's sport growing now? Who will win the semis and finals this week — and take home the massive prize purse?

Then, before the Feisty Picks of the Week, it's time for our in-the-weeds debate: How do we solve doping?

• Marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich is banned for three years after her positive test and some pretty incriminating texts.
• Meanwhile, pro triathlete Imogene Simmonds was cleared of any fault or negligence for her positive test. Yes, her sexual contamination explanation actually makes sense. Is the system working the way it's supposed to?
• And the New York Times article about the prevalence of doping and incentives in Kenya: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/29/world/africa/kenya-runners-doping.html

Timestamps

• 00:28 - The gymnastics world championships
• 10:26 - Swimming World Records and Four More Years of the Tour de France Femmes
• 25:45 - Feisty correspondent Maya breaks down the Northern Super League and why it's important for Canada
• 33:47 - The Rise of Women's Cricket: USA Cricket coordinator Mithali Das explains it to us
• 52:33 - The big doping news this week and what to do about the prevalence of performance-enhancing drugs?
• 1:16:58 - Picks of the week

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