Football Tactics Writer at The Athletic ⚽️ MSc Sports Performance Analysis. Passions include athletics, Ligue 1 and flat whites.https://bsky.app/profile/liamtharme.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/liamtharme.bsky.social/post/3m5iwttzrd22rI spent 30 mins talking with Eliud Kipchoge. The nicest man in athletics. Everything about his new “world tour” (7 marathons, 7 continents, 2yrs), racing Bekele, 1:59 in Vienna, WRs in Berlin, books, mentorship & Kipyegon’s sub4 attempt @theathletic.com 🇰🇪 https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6797908/2025/11/13/eliud-kipchoge-exclusive-interview/13 Nov 2025 10:18 +0000at://did:plc:opdcybf6hs4ef556ihhjzevv/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5iwttzrd22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/liamtharme.bsky.social/post/3lyk3qo6npk2rIt’s World Champs week! 🇯🇵 First up, I spoke to Mondo Duplantis’ former coaches @lsu.bsky.social and the Swedish NT 🇸🇪 to understand how he went from child prodigy to doubly Olympic champ and 13x world records https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6575839/2025/09/11/mondo-duplantis-profile-world-championships-tokyo-sweden/11 Sep 2025 06:12 +0000at://did:plc:opdcybf6hs4ef556ihhjzevv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lyk3qo6npk2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/liamtharme.bsky.social/post/3lydan5h5q224A piece I’ve wanted to write all summer: why four Jamaican 🇯🇲 field athletes, three of whom were Olympic medalists in Paris, are switching allegiance to Turkey 🇹🇷 I asked Rajindra Campbell (shot put) + Roje Stona (discus) about their decisions in Zürich https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6594625/2025/09/08/jamaica-turkey-athlete-switch/08 Sep 2025 12:51 +0000at://did:plc:opdcybf6hs4ef556ihhjzevv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lydan5h5q224https://bsky.app/profile/liamtharme.bsky.social/post/3lxuftabqxc2jNo Gabby Thomas in Tokyo. A real shame. She’s out with an Achilles problem which started in May and resurfaced in July. She was the only track athlete with three golds (200m, 4x100m, 4x400m) in Paris, and took silver in Budapest over 200m. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6592063/2025/09/02/gabby-thomas-injury-world-championships/02 Sep 2025 15:14 +0000at://did:plc:opdcybf6hs4ef556ihhjzevv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxuftabqxc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/liamtharme.bsky.social/post/3lvazd3u6zc2yUS T&F trials start today! 🇺🇸 Here’s your preview: • Qualification process • Syd’s switch to 400m flat • Lyles’ 200m defence • Quincy Wilson but not Hall in 400m • Brazier/Muhammad’s comebacks • Houlihan’s return + more Coverage @theathletic.com https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6522383/2025/07/31/us-track-and-field-championships-sydney-mclaughlin-levrone-preview/ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6522383/2025/07/31/us-track-and-field-championships-sydney-mclaughlin-levrone-preview/?source=emp_shared_article31 Jul 2025 11:19 +0000at://did:plc:opdcybf6hs4ef556ihhjzevv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvazd3u6zc2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/liamtharme.bsky.social/post/3lufp6dkl522xRefreshing + insightful chats with Donovan Brazier and Jake Wightman at the London DL 💎 yesterday as two former World Champs attempt comebacks in the 800m and 1,500m Faster races, aggressive tactics, less room for error. US & GB trials soon - both could make Tokyo https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6503789/2025/07/20/wightman-and-braziers-tough-comebacks-show-turbocharging-of-mens-middle-distance-running/ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6503789/2025/07/20/wightman-and-braziers-tough-comebacks-show-turbocharging-of-mens-middle-distance-running/?source=emp_shared_article20 Jul 2025 14:36 +0000at://did:plc:opdcybf6hs4ef556ihhjzevv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lufp6dkl522xhttps://bsky.app/profile/liamtharme.bsky.social/post/3luchgfqkms2iInterviewed KJT yesterday ahead of her long jumping in the London DL 💎 Her Paris thoughts and review, chasing Thiam & Hall, reinventing herself and becoming more than a jumper, and her connection with heptathlon 🇬🇧 https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6502624/2025/07/19/katarina-johnson-thompson-interview/ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6502624/2025/07/19/katarina-johnson-thompson-interview/?source=emp_shared_article19 Jul 2025 07:39 +0000at://did:plc:opdcybf6hs4ef556ihhjzevv/app.bsky.feed.post/3luchgfqkms2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/liamtharme.bsky.social/post/3lsnvyzwqkc2vHad the privilege of chatting to Olympic and World 200m silver medalist Kenny Bednarek for 45 mins Olympics review, his upbringing, racing Tebogo, block starts, relaxing off the bend, JuCo and UO dreams, wanting triple gold in Tokyo, fixing US men’s 4x100 & more https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6450426/2025/06/28/kenny-bednarek-interview/ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6450426/2025/06/28/kenny-bednarek-interview/?source=emp_shared_article28 Jun 2025 10:09 +0000at://did:plc:opdcybf6hs4ef556ihhjzevv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lsnvyzwqkc2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/liamtharme.bsky.social/post/3lsjbrb4khk2dWhat’s it going to take for Faith Kipyegon to become the first female four-minute miler? I spoke to people from Breaking2 in 2017 (Kipchoge’s sub-two marathon shot) to understand physiological + drafting demands for Breaking4. Spoiler: it’s a huge “moonshot” 🇰🇪 https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6447772/2025/06/25/faith-kipyegon-four-minute-mile-attempt/ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6447772/2025/06/25/faith-kipyegon-four-minute-mile-attempt/?source=emp_shared_article26 Jun 2025 13:56 +0000at://did:plc:opdcybf6hs4ef556ihhjzevv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lsjbrb4khk2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/liamtharme.bsky.social/post/3lla7lqp5jk2iJakob Ingebrigtsen testified today (he will for 1hr 30 tomorrow too) against his father, Gjert, who is on trial for abuse charges against Jakob and his younger sister Ingrid. A report from day two of the trial, w/ @sigvekvamme.bsky.social https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6229890/2025/03/25/jakob-ingebrigtsen-trial-father-gjert25 Mar 2025 21:27 +0000at://did:plc:opdcybf6hs4ef556ihhjzevv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lla7lqp5jk2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/liamtharme.bsky.social/post/3liwmqrho2k2eEddie Howe stressed that, with patience, Lewis Hall would become a top player. He was right. Hall has replaced Trippier’s creativity and brings so much out of Gordon with his underlaps. Involved in all 4 goals v Forest yesterday. Give him his flowers. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6156043/2025/02/24/lewis-hall-eddie-howe-newcastle-attacks/24 Feb 2025 15:05 +0000at://did:plc:opdcybf6hs4ef556ihhjzevv/app.bsky.feed.post/3liwmqrho2k2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/liamtharme.bsky.social/post/3liee46bfo227Newcastle went with a hybrid defensive approach of a 5-4-1 mid-block and man-for-man press v City. Bounce passes and long balls unlocked them, and Newcastle conceded 3 in a PL first half for the first time under Howe — he called it a “painful watch”. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6139149/2025/02/17/manchester-city-newcastle-long-ederson-tactics https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6139149/2025/02/17/manchester-city-newcastle-long-ederson-tactics/?source=emp_shared_article17 Feb 2025 08:43 +0000at://did:plc:opdcybf6hs4ef556ihhjzevv/app.bsky.feed.post/3liee46bfo227https://bsky.app/profile/liamtharme.bsky.social/post/3lhycqraks227Ousmane Dembélé is on fire. Only the fourth PSG player to score in 8 consecutive games, he’s hit 20+ goals in a season for the first time, and already has more goals in 2025 than 2024. How Luis Enrique switching him from winger to No 9 has unlocked Dembélé. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6130490/2025/02/12/ousmane-dembele-champions-league-form https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6130490/2025/02/12/ousmane-dembele-champions-league-form/12 Feb 2025 13:47 +0000at://did:plc:opdcybf6hs4ef556ihhjzevv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhycqraks227https://bsky.app/profile/liamtharme.bsky.social/post/3lhvuuv76422vIt’s one year today that Kelvin Kiptum, Gervais Hakizimana, died in a traffic accident. I wrote this piece ahead of the Olympic marathon in August, speaking to those who knew him and raced against him. Kiptum (2:00:35) still holds the WR from Chicago in 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5683525/2024/08/09/kelvin-kiptum-tragedy-olympics/ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5683525/2024/08/09/kelvin-kiptum-tragedy-olympics/?source=emp_shared_article11 Feb 2025 14:33 +0000at://did:plc:opdcybf6hs4ef556ihhjzevv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhvuuv76422v