Eugene, Oregon--The girl who grew up on a dairy farm and then married a
dairy farmer made history last night on the world stage in Eugene, Oregon in
killer heat. Elle Purrier St. Pierre won the 1,500-meter race in an Olympic trials-record time to earn a spot at the Tokyo Games. Purrier St. Pierre
started on the inside in the 13-woman race and was nearly pushed onto the
infield in the early jostling.
"I tried not to let it bother me, and honestly, it gave
me a little boost," she said. "I wanted to go to the front and I
thought, 'I'm going for it.'"
She never looked back. And now, the 25-year-old who milked
cows growing up on a dairy farm in Vermont is part of a new generation of 1,500
runners heading to the Olympics.
Purrier St. Pierre finished the 1,500 meter race in 3 minutes, 58.03 seconds. It
broke the old Olympic trials mark of 3:58.92 set by Mary Slaney on July 23,
1988.