We've clocked some massively monumental moments (triple M alliteration for all you aesthetes out there) during our 3 year run at Bandit. From our first NYC Marathon pop-up to the most recent Unsponsored Project, and all the barely controlled chaos that has come in between.
Now, unanimously standing atop that list is Shafiqua Maloney and her string of inspiring Olympic performances. Entering the Olympics ranked 27th in the world, she had unwavering belief in herself. In Paris, when we talked, she was adamant: "I am making the Olympic final". There was not an ounce of hesitation in her voice, it was being manifested in those moments. One week and three races later, in the hunt for an Olympic title, Shafiqua came away with a 4th place finish.
We have been so fortunate & grateful to be alongside a small part of Shafiqua's amazing journey. An Olympic recap, her post race interview and '5 Dreams with Shafiqua Maloney" below!
Round 1
After months of preparation in the States, Shafiqua had spent the weeks leading up to the Olympic Games traveling for races and training. She raced in Belgium and Budapest, laid up in London for a weeks long stint, and then wrapped her final preparations with a training camp on the Italian / Swiss border with her compatriots. August 2nd, 2024 finally arrived. Round 1 of the Olympic Games.
Shafiqua's heat was stacked. These rounds can always be a good ol' Vegas crap shoot as athletes are compiled at random to ensure fairness. Shafiqua stuck her nose right in the thick of the Parisian mid-day heat (not an AC in sight). The dust settled and Reigning Olympic Champion Mary Moraa of Kenya, and eventual Silver Medalist Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia finished just a lean ahead of a fast closing Shafiqua Maloney of Saint Vincent and the Grendines. 1:58.23, a new National Record. "She is in top form... at the right time". Our office collectively exhaled. We were onto the semi-finals.
Semi-Finals
Track and Field is a sport of momentum. When races are going well, good snowballs into great. After watching Shafiqua close like a bat out of hell in round 1, I started to "get that feeling". The heat sheets were released and Shafiqua drew Tsige Duguma (Ethiopian from her previous heat), Jemma Reekie (a seasoned medal contender from Great Britain), and a few young talents like Juliet Whitaker (USA), and Renelle Lamonte (France). This was going to be a fight.
Stateside, we were in the middle of our Brooklyn Mile Afterparty and you can bet your bottom dollar we cut the music, turned the broadcast up, and streamed the race on about 19 televisions with 1,200 people in attendance. Shafiqua delivered one of the most memorable performances I've ever seen. Storming down the homestretch, arms pumping high and tight, she crossed in 2nd place. 1:57.59 for another National Record and a spot in the most coveted race every four years: THE OLYMPIC FINAL.
No photos from the semi finals, but enjoy our reaction from across the pond. Pandemonium!
The Olympic Final
The following evening was a more subdued crowd in NYC. We huddled as a company in front of our live stream at Bleecker St... nervous. Blindly proud of Shafiqua, but nervous knowing what was at stake and more importantly how bad she wanted a medal. These are the best women in the world at the 800 meter distance. No doubt about it. All 8 women in that final earned their spot with every ounce of focus over the previous decade of their lives.
The gun went off.
It wasn't particularly fast out the gate. Approaching the half way mark, Keely Hodgkinson, the consensus gold medal favorite, started to press forward. The race was officially on and the pack felt it. An immediate schism. But, FiFi was on the right side of the break! 5 of 8 were away clear as they entered the backstretch. Moraa, remember her from Shafiqua's round 1 (?), made a hard effort onto Hogdkinson's shoulder -- her bid for gold was denied. Two were away clear and Shafiqua was left fighting for a bronze medal position. 50 meters remaining she pushed again, powered by pure will. I think with 10 more meters more, she would have had a medal, but the sport can be beautifully & painstakingly close. Delayed not denied.
Shafiqua Maloney, from the small Carribean island nation of Saint Vincent and The Grendines finished 4th in the world. Enough to make an entire country, and her newfound community of fans in NYC, proud.
Watch Shafiqua's post race interview.
5 Dreams With FiFi
My name is Shafiqua Maloney and I'm from St. Vincent & The Grenadines. I live in Fayetteville, Arkansas where I went school. I'm a track and field athlete, specializing in the 400 and 800. I qualified in both for the Olympic Games, but could only run one of them, so the 800 it was. I've been running since I was 11 years old. A fun fact about me is that Netball was my first sport.
5 Quick Dreams
- Dream race: Diamond League
- Dream post-race meal: Ice cream
- Dream cultural experience: Visiting Biblical sites in Israel
- Dream achievement: An Olympic Medal
- Dream creative to work with: John Rice
- Dream Bandit collab: Bandit x Beats
