Vermont native Elle St. Pierre, a 2018 University of New Hampshire graduate and Class of 2024 Hall of Fame inductee, advanced out of Thursday's 1,500-meter semifinal round at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The final is Saturday at 2:25 p.m. Eastern Time.

This is the second consecutive Olympiad that St. Pierre has advanced to the 1,500 final. She finished 10th at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

“(We) went out a bit slower than I was expecting. So I just kind of knew the players in the game and tried to key off them and be towards the front on that last bell lap,” St. Pierre said in a post-race interview on NBC.

She also commented on her strategy for Saturday’s final. 

“(By) just looking at it the way the 1,500 is historically run. And you just got to be ready to run as fast as you can.”

The top six runners in each of the two heats advanced to the final. St. Pierre placed third in heat one with a time of 3 minutes, 59.74 seconds. The winning time was clocked in at 3:58.64 by two-time defending gold medalist, Faith Kipyegon on Kenya.

St. Pierre’s skills were tested in this race after finding herself wedged in sixth place at the first 400-meter split (1:06.9) and eighth place through the second (2:13.8). 

After turning the last corner before the final lap, St. Pierre managed to force her way to the outside of the group and accelerated into the third-place slot where she remained as she crossed the finish line. 

St. Pierre qualified for the semifinals earlier in the week on Tuesday, when she placed third in heat three of the first round with a time of 4:03.22 seconds. Both of her American teammates – Nikki Hiltz and Emily Mackay – also qualified for the semifinals.

Hiltz will also race in Saturday’s final.