American runner Shelby Houlihan returned to the big stage after a much-debated four-year doping ban and won a silver medal in the 3,000 meters at the world indoor championships.
The U.S. record holder at 1,500 meters and former record holder in the 5,000 sat out the Paris Olympics because she tested positive after eating a burrito she claimed was tainted with a performance-enhancing drug. The 32-year-old runner said she was flooded with a range of emotions after her second-place finish Saturday.
“It's been a long journey,” Houlihan said in an interview with letsrun.com. “I'm excited for today and now, but also kind of grieving the past a bit. It’s just been a real tough journey.”
In the lead-up to Olympic trials in 2021, Houlihan revealed she had tested positive for nandralone and claimed it came from a tainted pork burrito she'd bought from a Mexican food truck. A slew of appeals ensued, but Houlihan's argument was ultimately rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Houlihan's case divided the track and anti-doping world, mainly because many elements of it were similar to “no fault” cases that often result in athletes receiving little or no penalty. Houlihan, whose case was prosecuted by the international Athletics Integrity Unit, received no such leniency and was forced to spend the prime of her career on the sideline.
After her second-place finish in Nanjing, China, she reflected on the journey that led to her comeback. She said her first year out of the sport was the most difficult.
“Getting used to completely trying to create a new normal,” Houlihan said. “Running had been part of my life since I was 5, so who am I without this? I didn't know. (I felt) totally crumbled and trying to rebuild myself back up.”
She said “a ton of anger” was driving her at the time, but she realized that was no way to move forward.
Houlihan said she's hopeful her success at the worlds in China might lead to her landing a sponsor. World outdoor championships are in September, when Houlihan could shape up to be a factor in the 1,500 or 5,000.
“It got to a point where I was just like, ‘I don’t want to give up because I feel like I'll always wonder what could have been,'” Houlihan said. “And then I feel like I still have more to prove. I feel like the best is yet to come for myself and I wanted to see that through and not let someone else decide.”
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Shelby Houlihan, of the United States, poses on the podium after winning the silver medal in the women's 3000 meters at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Shelby Houlihan, of the United States, competes in the women's 3000 meters final at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.
The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.
About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.
The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.
The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.
The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.
The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.
Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.
The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.
The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.
Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.
Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”
“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.
The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.
It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
