Sage Hurta-Klecker Live Interview | 2026 Rabat Diamond League
Sage Hurta-Klecker joins The Athlete's Lounge after the 800m
Video Transcript
Sage, how you doing?
Welcome to the show.
Pretty good.
Yeah.
Yeah, just- How you doing?
you know, ran the hundred out there.
We got- That's a pretty casual way of putting it we, we got Andy here with you, you know, your neighbor.
Let's keep it together.
Keep it together.
How you doing, Sage?
What was, what was the, the conversation with Dathan before you went into this?
What was the plan?
I wanted to get out there and mix it up.
It was a crazy race, 'cause it was so many people and so busy.
I just wanted to throw something at the wall, see where we're at, and I feel like that was a good, gave me a good sense, just based on how I felt out there.
But definitely felt a little rusty.
I, I almost, I almost feel like I had a great day, but wanna clean some things up.
Sage, I think, I think you were, like, 1, 150 n- like, a second off in your season opener last year.
So even though you're back, you're maybe back not where you wanna be, how does that feel to open up, ahead of where you were in previous seasons?
I mean, I'm happy to have my I think this is my fastest season opener.
but I just know that the fitness is, quite a bit further along than that, and I just wanna get the opportunity to express that and put myself in the position to do so.
I was, like, 95% there, just got a little bit caught up on that last turn and ran out of places to go.
You gonna wear the Meta glasses in one of these races?
Maybe.
I think I gotta, run well and get some clear track.
Although, it would definitely give a sense, give people a sense of how chaotic it is out there- That looks- if I recorded what I went through.
That looks like a pretty chaotic race.
Yeah.
A lot of sharp elbows.
Yeah.
We sent, we, we send that signal live on FloTrack.
Yeah, but Sage, send us, send, send us the Meta footage.
Let's go.
Let's go.
That's hilarious.
Yeah.
That'd be great.
Yeah.
well, what, what's, what's next for you, Sage?
Where we, where will we see you coming up?
I'll be at the Stockholm Diamond League next week, and so hopefully just improve on today in terms of placement and time, and reflect on what went well, what didn't, and, you know, just keep climbing throughout the whole season.
I, I hope you go get a hug from that mascot that just walked behind you.
'Cause it was hilarious.
I Well, last question before we let you go, we're, we're talking men's steeplechase today.
We had some picks out there.
You got one.
You got one of your teammates and the defending world champ against El Bakkali out there.
What are the vibes in Morocco?
And you got a pick for us.
You know, El Bakkali loves this stadium.
He rules it out here.
He lives for this.
But I think he's got some stiff competition, so he's gonna have to work for it this time around.
Let's go.
Whoo.
Let's go.
Heck yeah.
All right.
All right.
All right.
Okay.
I'm, I'm gonna let you go out there.
We can We're, we're reading between the lines.
We gotcha.
Well, Sage, thanks so much for joining us in the Athlete's Lounge.
We're gonna see you, in Stockholm next week, so safe travels.
Yep.
Thanks so much.
