Angelina Napoleon Reflects On Her 9th Place Finish At the World Championships 3000m Steeplechase Final At 20 Years Old | Tokyo Recap

The CITIUS MAG Podcast

September 29, 2025

Our guest today is Angelina Napoleon — the 20-year-old NC State steeplechaser who just capped off a super impressive and long outdoor track season.

In Tokyo, Angelina made her World Championships debut, ran 9:18 in the heats to advance, and then came back with a 9:17 in the final to finish ninth overall — and as the top American in the women’s steeplechase. That finish crowns a year where she lowered her PB from the 9:50s all the way down to 9:10, finished third at NCAAs, and proved she belongs on the global stage.

What stands out about Angelina isn’t just the times, it’s her perspective: she left Tokyo proud, grateful, and already hungry for more. She talked about staying calm in the chaos, adapting to challenges, and soaking up the love from her family and friends as she raced halfway across the world.

Now, as she heads back to grass and cross country season, we’re hoping this makes you a fan of her going forward.

____________

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠

Guest: Angelina Napoleon | @angelinanapoleon on Instagram

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

Support The Sponsor

Chris Chavez

Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and on Feb. 15th, 2025 finally broke five minutes for the mile.

Related Episodes

Cole Hocker Recaps His 2025 World Championships – From The DQ In The 1500m To The Historic Kick For Gold And Redemption In The 5000m | Tokyo Reflection

September 26, 2025

View Episode

Conner Mantz On How He Ran 2:04:43 To Break The American Record At The 2025 Chicago Marathon | Race Recap + Reflection

October 15, 2025

View Episode

Nikki Hiltz Reflects On Finishing 5th At The World Championships 1500m Final | Tokyo + Season Recap

September 26, 2025

View Episode

Sage Hurta After Finishing 5th In The World Championships 800m Final In 1:55.89 (Third-Fastest American Ever)

September 25, 2025

View Episode