Park City’s own distance runner Grant Fisher made history Friday night in Paris, winning bronze in the 10,000-meter race with a time of 26:43.46.
The medal is the U.S.’s third ever in the event, one traditionally dominated by African nations like Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya. Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei won gold with an Olympic-record time of 26:43.14, and Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi won silver at 26:43.44.
The tenths and hundredths of a second difference between the top runners created a photo finish. The lead pack was together for the majority of the race, with everybody putting on the burners on the last two laps of the 25-lap race, held at France’s national stadium, the Stade de France.
With everyone giving it their last breaths towards the finish line, that’s where Fisher excelled. The 27-year-old Stanford alumni came around the outside to cement his place in the history books, something he and his longtime coach Mike Scannell had been pushing towards.
The pair moved to town in October of 2023, with Scannell telling his runner in one of their last Utah and stateside training sessions, “what matters is what we do at the end of the race in three weeks.”
Fisher’s finish meant he got to flash his trademark smile and take a victory lap, American flag draped proudly over his shoulders.
The runner’s result Friday was a major step up from his 27:46.39 fifth place time at the 2020 Tokyo Games. He holds both the American 10,000-meter and 5,000-meter records with 26:33.84 and 12:46.96 times, respectively. Fisher will next turn his focus to the 5,000-meter race, the second of his two events.
The 5,000-meter first round will be Wednesday at 3:10 p.m., MDT, and the finals are scheduled for next Saturday at 11:50 a.m., MDT.
The 5,000-meter is another race traditionally dominated by Africans. The U.S. has won five medals in the history of the event, their last a silver in Tokyo from Paul Kipkemoi Chelimo. The reigning gold medalist in the event is Friday’s 10,000-meter gold medalist Cheptegei.
Both heats will be available for live-streaming on NBC’s Peacock.
