Former Florida Gators track and field star Grace Stark smashed her personal best with a 12.31-second finish in the 100-meter hurdle event Sunday at the US Olympic Trials, punching her ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Masai Russell set a Trials record in first place with 12.25 seconds, and Alaysha Johnson beat out Stark for second by seven one-thousandths of a second. All three will represent the United States at the upcoming Olympic Games.
In the first round, Stark placed second in her heat and fifth overall with a 12.52-second finish. She set a temporary personal best with a 12.45-second run in the semifinals. Of course, she crushed that record by .14 seconds in the finals.
GRACE STARK THE OLYMPIAN đ#GoGators đ| @TeamUSA | @NBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/jnrlaO1CJD
— Gators Track and Field & Cross Country (@GatorsTF) July 1, 2024
Former Gator Brandee Johnson also participated in the event, finishing 20th in the semifinal.
Grace Stark as a Florida Gator
Stark is one of the best hurdlers Florida has ever seen. She holds the program record for outdoor 100-meter hurdles (12.47 seconds at 2024 NCAA Championships), indoor 60-meter hurdles (7.78 seconds at 2022 NCAA Championships) and the indoor 60-meter sprint (7.10 at 2022 NCAA Championships).
The Lakeland High graduate earned All-American honors in every season with Florida.
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