Australian Olympian Apologizes After Sexist Comment

Australian middle-distance runner Ryan Gregson was forced to issue a public apology after using a term deemed "derogatory" during his appearance on a podcast.

The controversy arose when the Olympian, on the For The Kudos podcast, used the phrase "getting chicked," which refers to a man being beaten by a woman in a competition.

"You're on your way to a personal best, you know you're going well, but halfway through there's a girl right next to you," Gregson said, continuing: "It's like you're re-evaluating everything, you think: 'I'm having the best day of my career, but am I going to get chicked?'"

The female athlete Gregson was referring to was Kenyan superstar Agnes Jebet Ngetich, the reigning world cross-country champion who, in 2024, set a new 10km world record in a mixed race in Spain.

The use of the term immediately sparked a wave of online criticism, directed at both the athlete and the podcast. Chloe Dalton, an Australian sports star, AFLW player, and 2016 Olympic rugby gold medalist, labeled the comment as "incredibly concerning."

Listener reactions were harsh. "How disgusting... this is so boring... The best men support women. Insecure men create podcasts, boast about their achievements, and listen to the sound of their own voice in their spare time," commented one user. Other comments included phrases like "I genuinely hope you don't coach any women" and "We really need to stop giving microphones to men."

Confronted with the controversy, Gregson, who has two children with Australian marathon runner Genevieve Gregson, issued an apology on another podcast.

"From the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry," he stated. "That doesn't represent me; I have immense respect for female athletes in this sport, especially since my wife is one of them."

The athlete admitted the term was "wrong" and "derogatory," adding that it painted a "terrible" and inaccurate picture of how he views female athletes.