In a story that has provoked startling headlines and stunned the track-and-field community, three-time U.S. Olympic middle distance runner Suzy Favor Hamilton admitted in a report published Thursday at The Smoking Gun that for the last year she has been working as a '$600-an-hour' Las Vegas escort. (Link includes pictures that might not be safe for work.)

“I take full responsibility for my mistakes. I'm not the victim and I'm not going that route,” Favor Hamilton told TSG. “I'm owning up to what I did. I would not blame anybody except myself. Everybody in this world makes mistakes. I made a huge mistake. Huge.”

An Olympian in 1992, 1996 and 2000, until now Favor Hamilton was most famous for intentionally falling to the track in the 1500 meter final in Sydney when it became clear she could not medal in honor of her late brother, Dan. A former member of the Wisconsin track team, Favor Hamilton was one of the most decorated female runners in NCAA history and has the Big Ten's Female Athlete of the Year Award named in her honor.

Favor Hamilton still lives in Madison, Wisc., with her husband and 7-year-old daughter. A profile of Favor Hamilton that appeared in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in July (and linked by TSG) describes her life as a happy one, with Favor Hamilton having overcome post-partum depression to enjoy her work in a realty business co-owned with her husband and as a motivational speaker. Bu.