By Chris Chavez
July 6, 2024
Parker Valby, the U.S. Olympic Trials runner-up in the 10,000m and five-time NCAA champion, has elected to only run the 10,000m at the Paris Olympics, she confirmed to CITIUS MAG. Whittni Orton Morgan, the 5th place finisher in the 5000m final from the U.S. Olympic Trials will take the third spot on the U.S. team for the Summer Games.
Here’s what you need to know:
– Elle St. Pierre, Elise Cranny and Karissa Schweizer went 1-2-3 in the 5000m final at the U.S. Olympic Trials. St. Pierre also qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in the 1500m with a third place finish in a personal best of 3:55.99 behind Nikki Hiltz and Emily Mackay.
– St. Pierre and Team New Balance Boston head coach Mark Coogan decided to go all-in on the 1500m and scratched the 5000m.
– The United States 10,000m team for the Olympics is set to be Weini Kelati, Parker Valby and Karissa Schweizer. Kelati is the only American woman who has run under the Olympic standard of 30:40.00. Valby and Schweizer are in the Road to Paris World Rankings quota for their respective spots.
– Valby, the NCAA champion and U.S. Olympic Trials fourth place finisher in the 5000m, was presented with the option to double with the 5000m and 10,000m at the Olympics but informed CITIUS MAG that she only plans to run the 10,000m. Valby owns a personal best of 30:50.43 from a mostly solo run at the Bryan Clay Invitational in April. The Olympic 10,000m final is on Aug. 9th.
– As a result of St. Pierre and Valby opting for just one event, Whittni Orton Morgan (the 5th place finisher in the 5000m final at the Trials) will get the third and final spot for the Paris Olympics. Orton Morgan owns a personal best of 15:02.07 from July 2023. She does not have the Olympic standard but is comfortably in the World Rankings quota to be selected. Her season’s best of 15:05.53 came in the U.S. Olympic Trials final.
– Orton Morgan has put together a remarkable comeback in 2024 after undergoing patellar tendon debridement surgery in November 2023. She did not return to running on the ground until early February. She returned to racing in April. The first round of the women’s 5000m is set for Aug. 2. The final is on Aug. 5th.
– Orton Morgan joins her training partner and former BYU teammate Courtney Wayment on Team USA. They are coach Diljeet Taylor’s first two Olympians.
Chris Chavez
Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and is an aspiring sub-five-minute miler.
