'Rather than just following along I wanted to be making moves, be aggressive and pushing it a little bit,' she said. Seidel said she was feeling good after the halfway mark and started to believe. It's just trying to be like, focus on your race.'

'A lot of it is just trying to stay calm and not try to think like, oh my gosh, you're running with the fastest women in the world. 'I was a little bit star struck, I look up to these guys a lot,' she said with a laugh. Seidel, 27, did confess to a moment of awe as she was running alongside world record holder Kosgei. woman to get a medal in the event after gold medallist Joan Benoit in 1984 and bronze winner Deena Kastor in 2004. They know who Seidel is now, after she became the third U.S. 'I think my goal today was just go in and have all of these experienced marathoners be like, 'who the hell is this girl?'' trials of just, stick my nose in it, don't be afraid if you're up in the front,' Seidel said. I had the same goal that I had going into the U.S.

'I was really trying to keep an open mind. trials in Atlanta last year, had not made any prediction lists in a field led by heavyweights like Kenya's Brigid Kosgei and Ruth Chepngetich, the world champion. Seidel, who switched from shorter distances and debuted at the U.S.

SAPPORO, Japan, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Molly Seidel may have been competing in just her third marathon but the American relished the role of disruptor as she ran alongside the sport's elite and took bronze in the Olympic women's event on Saturday.

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