defector-orange-no-empty-space

lede_post_card_default

lede_post_card_stacked

lede_post_card_featured_post

lede_post_card_featured_posts_hero

lede_post_card_featured_posts_sidebar

lede_post_card_highlighted_post

lede_post_card_horizontal_a

lede_post_card_horizontal_c

lede_post_card_related_post

lede_article_featured_16x9

lede_article_featured_3x2

lede_article_featured_flexible

lede_article_content

lede_article_content_wide_width

lede_article_content_full_width

lede_byline_avatar_post_card

lede_byline_avatar_highlight

lede_profile_coral_avatar

lede_logo

lede_logo_banner

lede_logo_footer_banner

lede_logo_simple_header

lede_sponsorship_logo

lede_sponsorship_logo_river_card

lede_sponsorship_homepage_card_logo

lede_sponsorship_homepage_card

Footer Legal

Header - Categories

Header Menu

The last good website.

Topics

This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

defector-no-empty-space

Defector

defector-present-wrapping-logo-gift-subscription-250fixed

winter 2023 gift (eyebrow)

The Defector Crewneck Sweatshirt Is Back In Stock

back-in-stock-for-a-limited-time

Merch v3


<p>Investigations Editor. You can reach her at diana@defector.com or, if you prefer protonmail, dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. If security is a concern, download the Signal app and send her a text at 929-251-8187.</p>


DFM New Headshot

Diana Moskovitz

Simone Biles competes in the floor exercise on day four of the 2023 U.S. Gymnastics Championships at SAP Center on August 27, 2023 in San Jose, California.

Simone Biles

Gymnastics

The Simone Biles Comeback Continues At Full Speed

<div class="author-header-content">
<p>Charles P. Pierce is a writer at <em>Esquire</em> and the author of four books, most recently <em>Idiot America</em>, and has been a working journalist since 1976. He lives near Boston with his wife but no longer his three children.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
</div>
<div class="author-header-shares"></div>


XrjaOfP__400x400

Charles P. Pierce

Ukraine's Olha Kharlan (L) refuses to shake hands with Russia's Anna Smirnova, registered as an Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN), after she defeated her during the Sabre Women's Senior Individual qualifiers, as part of the FIE Fencing World Championships at the Fair Allianz MI.CO (Milano Convegni) in Milan, on July 27, 2023.

FENCING-ITA-WC-SABRE-WOMEN

Olympics

Olga Kharlan’s Stand Had History Behind It

Simone Biles smiling after she competes on the balance beam during the Core Hydration Classic at Now Arena on August 05, 2023 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Simone Biles at Classic

Simone Biles Is Using A Spotter For Her Vault, And That’s A Good Thing

Simone Biles celebrates with her coach Laurent Landi after competing on the vault at the Core Hydration Classic at Now Arena on August 05, 2023 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Simone Biles and her coach

Simone Biles Is Having Fun Again

Gymnast Simone Biles of Team United States flips through the air as performs her dismount during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Women's Gymnastics Balance Beam Final at Ariake Gymnastics Center on Tuesday, August 3, 2021

A Brief Investigation Into Whether Brady Quinn Broke The Simone Biles News

headshot1

Patrick Redford

Lance Armstrong is seen on January 12, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.

lance-armstrong

Cycling

Lance Armstrong Is Suddenly Concerned With Fairness In Sports

United States snowboard coach Peter Foley looks on in the Men's Slopestyle Qualification during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park on February 6, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. He is backlit, standing in silhouette.

Peter Foley

U.S. Snowboarders Sue Ex-Coach, USOPC, And Their Federation For Sex Trafficking


<p>Amanda Ruggeri is a multi-award-winning freelance journalist who lives in Switzerland. She writes on topics including science, travel, and sometimes ski racing.</p>


_MG_2906

Amanda Ruggeri

Mikaela Shiffrin of United States of America during the flower ceremony of Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Womens Slalom race on January 10, 2023 in Flachau, Austria. (Photo by Hans Peter Lottermoser/SEPA.Media /Getty Images)

Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup – Women’s Slalom

Mikaela Shiffrin Resets

Ilia Malinin of the United States prepares to take the ice to recieve his gold medal in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating - Skate America at The Skating Club of Boston on October 22, 2022 in Norwood, Massachusetts.

Ilia-Malinin

Figure Skating

Behold, The Reign Of Our New Quad God Is Nigh

Allyson Felix of Team United States competes in the Women's 4x400m Relay heats on day nine of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 23, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon.

Allyson Felix

Track And Field

I Will Miss Watching Allyson Felix Run


<p>Visual Editor. Runs <a href="http://defectorstore.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">defectorstore.com</a>. Philadelphia-based, if you couldn’t tell.</p>


DFmBbTQF_400x400

Dan McQuade

Fred Kerley leans over the line to win the 100m Final at the World Athletics Championships

kerley

Fred Kerley Moved His Speed Down, And It Worked

150896222_10159099371879636_7101222369896621357_o

Laura Wagner

TOPSHOT - A member of Team USA (R) swims to recover USA's Anita Alvarez (L), from the bottom of the pool during an incident in the women's solo free artistic swimming finals, during the Budapest 2022 World Aquatics Championships at the Alfred Hajos Swimming Complex in Budapest on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)

TOPSHOT-ARTISTIC SWIMMING-WORLD-WOMEN-2022

Swimming

U.S. Artistic Swimmer Rescued After Fainting In Pool For A Second Time

A photo of a pair of hands atop the uneven bars. They are griping the bars, as gymnasts do,

Uneven Bars

How Gymnastics Breaks A Gymnast

An image of Valeri Liukin. He is standing with his hands on his hips.

Valeri Liukin

What The Hell Is USAG Even Doing?

2019-01-01 00:15:14.989

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Nils van der Poel of Team Sweden skates on the way to winning the Gold medal and setting a new Olympic record time of 6:08.84 during the Men's 5000m on day two of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at National Speed Skating Oval on February 06, 2022 in Beijing, China.

Speed Skating – Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Day 2

Defector Reads A Book

I Peeked Inside An Elite Athlete’s Head And It’s A Foreign Country In There


<p>Rose Eveleth is the host of the podcast&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flashforwardpod.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flash Forward</a>, and author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flashforwardpod.com/book/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the book by the same name</a>.&nbsp;<br></p>


WEB-Rose Eveleth-Mamiya RZ 67-Eler de Grey

Rose Eveleth

GettyImages-52285363

If Horses Are Gone From Modern Pentathlon, Is It Time For Mechanical Bulls?

Kamila Valieva of Team ROC reacts after skating during the Women Single Skating Free Skating on day thirteen of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 17, 2022 in Beijing, China. She is standing on center ice, looking very small, and all five Olympic rings on the ice are visible.

Figure skating Olympic rings

The Banality Of Abuse In Women’s Sports

AJSfPYY9_400x400-1

Kelsey McKinney

Alpine Skiing – Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Day 13

Mikaela Shiffrin Took Care Of Herself

Kalyn Kahler

Screen Shot 2022-02-17 at 12.28.28 PM

Nobody Won Women’s Figure Skating

curling-shuster

Why John Shuster Gave Up A Point

Team Canada reacts after defeating Team United States in the Women's Ice Hockey Gold Medal match between Team Canada and Team United States on Day 13 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Wukesong Sports Centre on February 17, 2022 in Beijing, China.

Ice Hockey – Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Day 13

The Best Team Won

BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 15: Alexandra Trusova of Team ROC skates during the Women Single Skating Short Program on day eleven of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 15, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Figure Skating – Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Day 11

Let’s Meet These Figure Skating Women

IMG_6025-800

Albert Burneko

yak1

This Is So Stupid

Where Should The Yak Go (On The Olympic Downhill Ski Course)?

BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 15 : Ailing Eileen Gu of Team China wins the silver medal during the Olympic Games 2022, women's Freeski Slopestyle on February 15, 2022 in Zhangjiakou China.

Freestyle Skiing – Winter Olympics Day 11

Eileen Gu Is An American

ratto-ray_400x400

Ray Ratto

BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 15: Kamila Valieva of Team ROC skates during the Women Single Skating Short Program on day eleven of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 15, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

The Kamila Valieva Saga Is Going To Get Weirder Before It Gets Better