At last month’s World Championships in Tokyo, JAMBAR athlete Sage Hurta-Klecker made history in her stunning debut. In the first heat of the 800m, she advanced to the semi-finals with a second-place finish. In a stacked semi-final heat, she ran a season's best 1:57.62 to finish fourth and nab the final time qualifier slot. In the final, she shaved nearly two seconds off her personal best to finish in fifth place with a blistering time of 1:55.89. This effort makes Sage the all-time third fastest American at the 800m distance. Here at JAMBAR, we couldn't be happier to see her hard work paying off in such a big way.
JAMBAR: You've been competing at an elite international level for years, but this was your first time as a member of Team USA (although it certainly won't be your last!). How did it feel to put on the red, white and blue kit? What does it mean to you to represent your country on the global stage?
Sage: It's been a major goal of mine to compete on the world stage representing the US for a long time. Getting to wear the red, white, and blue is a tribute to everyone back home who has been on this journey with me since my early days running youth track. Also, I admire so many of the other athletes on Team USA, so I wear the kit with pride, and a sense of responsibility to live up to their legacies.
JAMBAR: Can you talk about your strategy during the semi-final heat, which you knew was going to be fast?
Sage: Overall, I knew I needed to give it my all to finish top 4 in my heat to have a chance at the final. My plan was to stay patient, and close well. Unfortunately, I think I took that advice too literally, and left qualifying for the final to the last moment.
JAMBAR: There were a few fabulous post-race photos (Citius Magazine and the AP via the Rome Sentinel) from the final with your face showing pure joy and astonishment. Is this the moment you saw your time? Can you describe what was going through your head?
Sage: Yeah, that was the moment I saw my time. I knew what place I'd gotten and what the winning time was, but I was waiting to see what my finishing time was. There aren't that many coherent thoughts going through my head after running an 800 as hard as I can. If I had to guess, it was something like, "WHAT!!!! That's crazy!"
JAMBAR: One of your biggest fans has to be your husband and OAC teammate Joe Klecker. What role did Joe play during the Championships and what kind of advice did he give you?
Sage: Joe was back at home in Colorado training for the NYC Marathon, which is coming up, so he showed up for me via text and phone calls. He really helped me by watching all the heats, highlighting people's racing styles, and watching previous championship races to see how they can play out. That way I could focus on what I needed to do, and Joe distilled everything else into, "XXX didn't look great," or, "you need to be in position with a lap to go," etc.
JAMBAR: How did you celebrate your accomplishments: running a sub-1:56 race, shaving almost two full seconds off your PB, and becoming the all-time third fastest American in the 800m?
Sage: So many people in my life have made me feel celebrated since the race. There's no one thing I could do now that could live up to the rush of the evening of the final. It was really special to meet up with my parents after the race, and share the joy of the moment with them.
JAMBAR: You've talked about the importance of having JAMBARs and other healthy snacks while traveling. How many JAMBARs did you bring to Tokyo? When did you eat them, and which flavors made the trip?
Sage: I brought a box of Tropical Trio JAMBARs with me to Tokyo. Some of them I ate after my last couple of workouts - I love getting that 10g of protein in on the go. JAMBARs are also a great snack to have on race day. All of my races were in the evening (as late as 9 pm!), so it can be hard to nail in the fueling. If I was ever a little hungry but wasn't ready to eat a meal, like after my shakeout runs, I'd have a JAMBAR.
JAMBAR: Anyone who has been following your career has to admire your resilience. Last summer, during the 800m race at the US Olympic Trials, the defending Olympic champion fell directly in front of you, breaking your stride and putting you far behind the pack. How were you able to recover from that devastating experience to reach such a career high just over a year later, and what advice do you have for athletes to help them move past disappointment to redemption?
Sage: It's hard to distill how I processed the emotions of disappointment into a few words, but I'll try. First, I built up a sense of identity that was independent of external results or validation. As long as I am putting forth my best effort, or am making changes that allow me to do so going forward, I can hold my head high. Second, I let myself sit with and process some of the grief that I had over such a major missed opportunity. Third, I reaffirmed why I push myself day after day, and seek out top-level competition. It's so rewarding to see personal growth, and life-affirming to push yourself in a competitive environment. These small rewards are enough to add some color and meaning to my life.
JAMBAR: What races are you looking forward to, and can you share your goals for the upcoming year?
Sage: It's not my race, but right now I'm looking forward to the NYC Marathon! I'll be there cheering on Joe.
Next year I'll be aiming to qualify for the World Ultimate Championships. This is a new meet format from World Athletics, where qualification is based on world ranking rather than national team selection. Normally 2026 would be an "off year" without a World Outdoor Championship or Olympics, but this new meet will serve as the culmination of the year.
Personally, I want to try to bottle some of the magic from Worlds this year, and figure out how I can repeat my performance in the years to come.