Sioux City native Shelby Houlihan eyes 2028 Olympics

Sports

October 23rd, 2025 by Ric Hanson

Sioux City native and former Olympic runner Shelby Houlihan has her eye on the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. The 32-year-old Houlihan finished 11th in the five thousand meter final at the Rio Olympics in 2016 but missed the Tokyo and Paris Olympics after a positive test for a banned substance in 2020. Houlihan says the substance likely came from tainted food.

She tried to prove it was from tainted pork, but the International Olympic Committee rejected that and handed down a four year ban.

Houlihan insisted she had not knowingly done anything illegal.

Houlihan spent 250-thousan dollars to try and prove her innocence and even battled through depression. She returned to the track this past season and finished fourth in the 5,000 meter run at the world championships.

Houlihan is a 13-time US champion.