EUGENE, Ore. — Karissa Schweizer is officially Paris-bound after her performance at this week's U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Schweizer finished the 5,000-meter final on Monday with a time of 14:45:12, sealing her third-place finish and a second Olympics berth.
Elle St. Pierre came in first with a time of 14:40:34, followed closely by Elise Cranny in 14:40:36. All three athletes qualified for the Paris Olympics.
The 28-year-old Schweizer grew up in Urbandale, Iowa and attended Dowling Catholic High School. From there, Schweizer went on to attend the University of Missouri, where she won three national titles.
In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Schweizer placed 11th in the 5,000 meters and 12th in the 10,000 meters.
Despite her previous Olympics experience, qualifying again was anything but a sure thing for Schweizer.
RELATED: Athing Mu stumbles, falls in 800 meters and will not have chance to defend her Olympic title
During the 2022 World Championships, Schweizer sustained a calf and Achilles injury. The runner eventually underwent surgery in fall of 2023 and has been on the road to recovery ever since.
"Honestly I can't believe it," Schweizer told NBC after qualifying for Paris. "I've been down so many times and I honestly never thought I'd be really, truly back here. This is just such a confidence-booster for me."
On June 29, Schweizer finished third in the 10,000-meter final with a time of 31:41.56.
While third place was good enough for a berth in the 5,000 meters, it's not that simple in the 10,000 meters. In order to compete in the second race at the Olympics, Schweizer will need to rely on the world rankings. The top 27 qualify and she will be on the bubble.
The world rankings are finalized on July 7.
The 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials resume Thursday. Click here for full results.