Veteran Australian middle-distance runner Ryan Gregson has issued a public apology after using a term widely condemned as derogatory during a podcast appearance. The Olympian faced immediate backlash when he uttered the phrase "getting chicked" while discussing a race scenario on the For The Kudos podcast.
What Was Said on the Podcast
During the conversation, Gregson recounted a moment from a mixed-gender race where he found himself running alongside a female competitor. "You're on track for a PB, you know you're going well, but there's a girl right next to you at halfway," he said. "Like you're just re-evaluating everything, you're like I'm on for a career-day but am I going to get chicked?" The female athlete in question was Kenyan superstar Agnes Jebet Ngetich, the reigning World Cross Country champion who set a world record for the 10km in a mixed-gender race in Spain in 2024.
Backlash and Criticism
The comment sparked a storm on social media, with listeners and fellow athletes condemning the term. Sporting superstar Chloe Dalton, an AFLW player and Olympic gold medallist in rugby sevens, labelled the language "concerning". One listener wrote: "Groosssssss ... this is so boring ... The best men champion women. Insecure men start podcasts, bragging about their 'achievements' and listen to the sound of their own voices in their spare time?" Another added: "I genuinely hope you don't coach any females. When someone shows you their true colours - believe them. Those internal thoughts you said out loud is who you are to the core." Others said: "We really need to stop giving men microphones" and "If you are that insecure and desperately need someone to listen to you ... there's something else called THERAPY." Another listener simply called it "gross".
Gregson's Apology
Gregson, who is married to Olympic runner Genevieve Gregson, later appeared on another podcast to apologise. "From the bottom of my heart I am truly sorry," he said. "That isn't me, I respect female athletes in this sport so much especially because my wife is one of them." He admitted the term was "wrong" and "derogatory" and said it painted "a terrible" and incorrect picture of how he viewed female athletes. The apology came after widespread condemnation, but many remain critical of the language used.
