Jere van Dyk (born 14 December 1945) is an American journalist who was captured and held prisoner by the Taliban in 2008.[1]

Jere Van Dyk
Born
OccupationJournalist
Known forBeing kidnapped in 2008
Working in Afghanistan

A book detailing his experience, Captive: My Time as a Prisoner of the Taliban, was published in 2017.[2]

Before his journalism career, van Dyk was an accomplished middle-distance runner for the Oregon Ducks track and field team, under then-coach Bill Bowerman.[3] According to World Athletics, van Dyk achieved bests of 1:47.3 in the 800 meters and 3:40.4 in the 1500 meters.[1]

Career

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van Dyk covered the Soviet-Afghan war for the New York Times, and covered the region for CBS News after 9/11.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b Jere van Dyk at World Athletics  
  2. ^ Baker, Jeff (10 July 2010). "How 'Captive' author Jere Van Dyk discovered himself while at the Taliban's mercy". oregonlive. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  3. ^ "July 26: An Interview with Jere Van Dyk, Former U.S. Track Star and Author of "Captive"". Runner's World. 26 July 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  4. ^ Giovanni, Janine di (15 December 2017). "A Freed Hostage Audits the Murky Business of Captive Negotiations". The New York Times.