The following podcast contains explicit language.

Hi, this is Josh Levine, and this is Slate's sports podcast, Hang Up and Listen for the week of August 15th, 2016.

On today's show, we'll talk about Usain Bolt's third consecutive win in the 100 meters at the Olympics,

and what world records by South Africa's Wade Van Neekirk and Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana tell us about the limits of human performance on the track.

We'll also discuss Katie Ledecki, Michael Phelps, and why Americans are so dominant at swimming.

And Slate's features editor, Jessica Winter Winter will join us to discuss the complicated legacy

of Bella and Marta Caroli, the Romanian defectors who led the United States to gymnastics's glory,

and have also been accused of physically and psychologically tormenting the young athletes that they coach.

Joining me in Washington, D.C. this week, a man we managed to get back from Fort Wayne,

Indiana, despite the best efforts of the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce.

And United Airlines.

It's Stefan Fatsis, the author of Word Freak, and a few seconds of panic.

And this is a no air travel complaint zone on this podcast.

Hello, Stefan. Hi, Josh. Also joining us

is the guy who's been joining me on our Hang Up and Listen Olympics Extra Podcasts, a writer for

ProPublica and the author of the book The Sports Gene Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic

Performance. David Epstein, hey, David. Hey, David. Hey, thanks for having me. Of course.

And I think we might be getting a special guest appearance from Mike Peska, the host of the

jest. Actually, not really much of a guest appearance. He'll be on for pretty much the entire show,

except for the first segment. But listen up for Mike Peska. He'll show up at some point. In our bonus

segment for Slate Plus members this week, our intern Laura Wagner will join us to talk about

whether the U.S. Women's National Team should dump Hope Solo. Yes. And what else we can learn,

...