A familiar face appeared on the podium at the Ten 2024 athletics meet in San Juan Capistrano, California. Lauren Ryan, a long-distance runner from Melbourne, broke a 21-year-old national record, placed third, and qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics stepping past the criteria.

The former Florida State University athlete garnered attention during her Australian senior team debut at the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships, the same year she finished fourth in the 3000m at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Making waves in the sprinting world since last year, she continued her dominance qualifying for the Summer Olympics in Paris.

Long distance runner continues to uplift Australian pride

The reigning national champion, Lauren Ryan, set the record in the women’s 10000m with a time of 30:35.66, making history as the first Australian to qualify for the event. The 26-year-old broke the previous Australian national record of 30:37.68, which had been held since the 2003 World Athletics Championships by legendary long-distance runner Benita Willis reported The Age.

Ryan also surpassed her previous personal best record, improving her time by over ninety seconds in the Paris qualification event. Ethiopia’s Tsigie Gebreselama led the field with a meet record and PB time of 29:48.34, followed by American runner Weini Kelati who clocked 30:33.82. Earning her first Australian title, Ryan dedicated the victory to her sick grandmother.

After her win, Ryan told nine.com, “Honestly, I got tripped so many times…so I was just like, ‘I’m going to slow it back down again and just race the race as it is’, and it panned out that way. To be a part of the Australian Olympic team is something that I have dreamed about,” the newest record further pushes her potential now that Ryan’s among the top track athletes with a history of athletic success.

Lauren Ryan’s elite running history

Ryan represented Australia at the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia, where she finished the 5K in 15:59. Later that year in the Pandora 10k at the Baltimore Running Festival, she clocked an impressive 33:33. Ryan’s performances were outstanding even though she hasn’t made many appearances in the last two years.

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