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1 week ago | 
essentiallysports.com | Maleehah Shakeel
Imagine being 33, in your prime, doing everything right—winning a pair of national titles, racking up medals in the World Cup and European Championships, taking bronze at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships, and even winning the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix back in 2018. Heading into the Paris Olympics, Khetag Tsabolov was seeded fifth and ranked eighth in the world. Basically, all signs pointed to a serious medal run. But then… boom. Suspension. The reason? Strange, but necessary.
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1 week ago | 
essentiallysports.com | Maleehah Shakeel
Illinois is officially back on the hunt. After eight seasons at the helm, the university has parted ways with its Illinios women’s gymnastics program’s head coach—a move that’s left plenty of people scratching their heads. Under her watch, the Illini punched their ticket to NCAA Regionals all eight years. That kind of consistency doesn’t grow on trees, but somehow, she still won’t be part of what’s next. You might ask why?
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1 week ago | 
essentiallysports.com | Maleehah Shakeel
47.60 seconds. That’s the world record in the women’s 400m, set by Marita Koch in 1985. For distance runners, maybe that’s in the realm of possibility—but for a short sprinter like Julien Alfred? That’s like asking a cheetah to run a marathon. Still, when her coach threw her into 300s and 400s this season, the Olympic champion went with it. And she didn’t just survive—she torched a 49.8-second split in the 4x400m at the Texas Relays.
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1 week ago | 
essentiallysports.com | Maleehah Shakeel
What can’t Simone Biles do? She’s a proud daughter, a supportive wife, a fierce mental health advocate, a loyal friend, a walking inspiration, and—let’s not forget—a gymnastics legend with more flips than most of us have socks. Seriously, if being unstoppable were a sport, she’d already have the gold. And yeah, she’s finally getting the flowers she deserves. Time Magazine just dropped its 100 Most Influential People of 2025 list, and guess who’s front and center? Simone freaking Biles.
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1 week ago | 
essentiallysports.com | Maleehah Shakeel
Julien Alfred is finally back where she belongs—and fans couldn’t be more pumped. After months of grinding it out in the 300m and 400m, she’s stepping back into the 200m, her real playground. It’s been a season of shake-ups so far, with her coach Edrick Floreal pushing her into longer sprints to build that strength and stamina. Julien didn’t love it—she even said, “Even though it hurts a lot, I trust him and what he has for me.” Still, she stuck with it, and let’s just say, it’s been working.
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1 week ago | 
essentiallysports.com | Maleehah Shakeel |Ayushi Dutta
At first glance, it might’ve seemed like just another birthday post—some cheeky emojis, a fierce caption, and the usual glam shots. But if you’ve been following Jordan Chiles for even a minute, you know she never does just another post. Nope. This was Jordan’s pre-birthday moment, and she was serving it up like the true queen she is. But, before anyone could wish her, she was out here wishing herself—and doing it in style.
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1 week ago | 
essentiallysports.com | Maleehah Shakeel |Deepanjan Mitra
Now we all know just how big of a deal the Boston Marathon is. So it is a given that any long-distance runner worth their mettle will be trying their best to participate, right? Well, as it happens, that might not be the case. After all, one 31-year-old runner just decided to pull out of the event. A bigger surprise is that he is the 2021 NYC Marathon winner and has consistently finished in the top five at the Boston event. So, this begs the question, why not this time?
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1 week ago | 
essentiallysports.com | Maleehah Shakeel
Quincy Wilson’s not rushing into any decisions just yet, but he’s certainly taking his time to listen and think things through. Back in November, this Bullis School gold medalist was at the center of attention, making college visits that had everyone buzzing. As a member of the Class of 2026, these visits are key to his decision-making process, as he carefully weighs his future. He’s keeping his options open between continuing with NCAA college athletics or possibly going pro.
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1 week ago | 
essentiallysports.com | Maleehah Shakeel
Now we all know just how tough Jordan Chiles is. Be it mentally or physically. After all, performing those high-octane routines weekly needs some serious power. But it is perhaps her mental game that is truly unbreakable. From losing her medal at the Olympics to delivering a slew of perfect 10s to blast UCLA into the semis of the NCAA title race, she’s been just plain awesome. But if we tell you that just a few days ago, a visit to an event had her questioning if she would even make it out alive.
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1 week ago | 
essentiallysports.com | Maleehah Shakeel
If you want to create a buzz, then just leave it to Jordan Chiles. After all, she brings a unique mix of charm, vibes, a perfect 10 presence, and last but not least, an Olympic energy wherever she goes. And as she heads into yet another NCAA championship, she is bringing all that along with her high-flying skills, bold routines, and infectious personality. But again, why wouldn’t she?
