John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
Stanford’s double NCAA champion Juliette Whittaker made the U.S. Olympic team on Monday by finishing third in the women’s 800 meters at the Olympic Trials while running under the Olympic standard.
Whittaker charged to third in the final in 1:58.45, a Stanford absolute record and a personal best. Counting out-of-season competitions, Whittaker’s time was the 11th-fastest performance by a collegian all-time, and she became the sixth-fastest performer. The race highlighted a significant day for Stanford athletes.
In addition to Whittaker, Cardinal alumna Elise Cranny finished second in the 5,000 final to advance to Paris, and Valarie Allman set a meet record during women’s discus qualifying with a distance of 232-7 (70.89). Allman, the 2016 Olympic champion, competes in the final on Thursday, the same day that Stanford’s Alyssa Jones competes in women’s long jump qualifying. Also on Monday, Stanford alumnae Allie Jones was fifth in the heptathlon (6,199 points) and Ella Donaghu seventh in the 5,000 (15:14.27).
Whittaker, who will be a junior next fall, becomes the first current Stanford track and field athlete to make a U.S. team since Erica McLain in the triple jump in 2008 during her senior season.
A fall by Athing Mu on the first lap took the reigning Olympic champion out of contention and affected Raevyn Rogers, who kept her feet but lost her spot in the front pack. Whittaker stayed in a good position throughout, never getting boxed in. At the bell, she was fourth, coming through the 400 meters in 57.97 seconds. Whittaker charged around the final turn in second place and despite getting passed by Allie Wilson from the outside, hung tough to collect third place under the Olympic standard of 1:59.30.
Her personal best was 1:59.04 from 2022 and her previous Stanford absolute record was 1:59.53 from this indoor season. Whittaker captured NCAA 800 titles indoors and outdoors in 2024.
Cranny ran 14:40.36 to qualify for her second Olympic Games. So far, four Stanford track and field athletes have qualified for Paris: Whittaker, Cranny, decathlete Harrison Williams, and 10,000-meter runner Grant Fisher.
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