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The USATF Paris Olympic Trials 5000-metre women’s race at Hayward Field in Eugene, OR, was Parker Valby’s first professional outing. As an NCAA champion, she threw herself from the frying pan and into the fire. However, being up against professionals, her usual tactic of leading from gun to tape would prove to be risky.

As expected, she led from the gun and made a gutsy effort out of it. Valby led a closely following pack of three in Ellie St. Pierre, Elise Cranny and Karissa Schweizer for 12:22, then she was dropped.

At that point, Ellie St. Pierre and Elise Cranny took over and turned it into a two-women race, with a thrilling sprint to the finish. Cranny came up on St. Pierre at the line. The two would finish in a near-dead heat, however, St. Pierre secured the win without having to lean at 14:40.34 to Cranny’s 14:40.36. Until the end, it appeared that Cranny just may catch St. Pierre, a former Trials champion. Karissa Schweizer took third in 14:45.12. Valby finished fourth in the time of 14:51.44.

The win was a Trials record for St. Pierre. All four eclipsed the Paris Olympic standard of 14:52.00. While the US can send up to three women to Paris in the event, a total of 42 will be accepted, based on time and global rankings. Should one of the athletes in front of Valby become injured or opt out of the event into another, Valby could make her first Olympic team at age 21.

St. Pierre set her lifetime best one month ago clocking 14:34.12 at Drake Stadium. Cranny holds the national indoor record from her Boston University run in 2022 at 14:33.17. Schweizer’s best is 14:26.34 from 2020.

The top athletes in the Olympic final will make the race challenging as the frontrunners, likely Kenyan Faith Kipyegon and a half dozen East Africans, may surge off and on throughout or just race fast for the entire 12.5-lap competition and clock a near 14:00 time.

Kipyegon owns a best of 14:05.20, while the world record is currently 14:00.21 by Ethiopian Gidaf Tsegay. The Olympic record set in Rio 2016 by Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot is 14:26.17.