Two-time Olympian Ryan Gregson has issued an apology after comments he made received significant backlash.
The 35-year-old, who is married to four-time Olympian Genevieve Gregson, made disparaging remarks about female runners on a podcast.
Gregson who competed in the 1500 metres at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games respectively, was speaking on the For The Kudos Podcast, where he reflected on another runner at a 10km race.
During the podcast he asked if the runner might get ‘chicked’ as he was followed closely by a ‘girl.’
The woman Gregson referred to was in fact, Agnes Jebet Ngetich, the 10km world record holder and current cross country champion.
Gregson has since returned on a truncated version of the same podcast to issue a grovelling apology for the sexist remarks.
Ryan Gregson (right) has issued a grovelling apology after sexist comments landed him in hot water on social media
Gregson, who is married to four-time Olympian Genevieve Gregson, claimed it would mess with a fellow runner who was about to be ‘chicked’
‘Funny one, so they did a 10k recently,’ he told co-hosts Riley Wolff, Joel Tobin-White.
‘And I think Liam ran about, I think this may have been 3 weeks ago, Liam ran a 28.20 something and Tim maybe 28.50.
‘But Liam had a girl, Liam had a girl behind him for the first 5k and I just said like, ‘Mate, that would be such a weird experience.’
‘You’re on track for a PB, you know you’re going well but there’s a girl right next to you at halfway. You’re just re-evaluating everything.
‘You’re like ‘I’m on for a career day today, but am I going to be chicked?
‘He’s not the type of guy who should, that shouldn’t even be going in your head, you’d just be shook.
‘You’d just be going through all your life’s choices like how did I end up here, like why didn’t I study harder or something like that.’
Shortly after the podcast’s publication, the backlash rolled in as criticism was levelled at Gregson with many reminding him of Genevieve’s achievements.
‘This is disturbing @ryangregson25 @thewolfferine to think you feel so comfortable to speak about women like this publicly on a podcast. Last I checked your wife is one of the best in the country. @forthekudos do better,’ wrote former Olympian Chloe Dalton.
Comments on the For the Kudos’ Apple Podcast page have since been flooded with similar responses.
One listener commented, ‘Only tiny, stupid little men would worry about being ‘chicked’ in a race. Thanks for making zero contribution to a safer world for women to run in.’
Another called it ‘misogynist drivel,’ adding, ‘Tell me you’re insecure without telling me you’re insecure.’
Following the response, the For The Kudos podcast team issued a ten-minute apology episode.
‘Firstly I owe an apology for my comments on the episode. This isn’t a representation of how I see women in sport,’ Gregson said.
‘My wife is an elite athlete and some of my proudest moments in the sport of running have been watching her win or be successful and beat up on male athletes.
‘Since yesterday, I’ve locked away from social media because I am ashamed that I have offended so many people.
‘I’ve read the comments initially and I’ve seen how offending it’s been for women to hear this clip and for that, from the bottom of my heart, I am truly sorry. That isn’t me.’
Tobin White also apologised, saying, ‘I wrote something up and I missed actually, the words ‘I’m sorry’. And for that I am sorry.
‘I was reading it back and I was like, I wish, I wish I didn’t leave that or I wish I came up straight off the bat and apologised because it just added more fuel.’
