LOS ANGELES :Joan Benoit Samuelson, the first women's Olympic marathon champion, hopes the return of the Summer Games to Los Angeles in 2028 will propel a new generation of American distance runners to the podium, even if they are not the favourites.

Samuelson, who won gold on the streets of Los Angeles in the inaugural women's Olympic marathon, recalled approaching that race as an underdog, unburdened by expectation.

"I was in the right place at the right time and if the day had been different, the result could have been totally different," she said in a Reuters interview at Nike Victory Relay, an event that brought 500 runners from across Los Angeles to LA Memorial Coliseum last weekend.

"I wasn't the favourite, and it's always easier being the underdog. I just said, 'Go out and run m

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