Rachel Smith, an elite runner who grew up in Sanford, gives a thumbs up after crossing the finish line at the Beach to Beacon 10K in August 2022. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
Sanford native Rachel Smith qualified for the women’s 5,000-meter final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials by placing third in her semifinal Friday in Eugene, Oregon.
Smith, a 2021 Olympian who now lives in Flagstaff, Arizona, finished with a time of 16 minutes, 6.92 seconds. The top six in each of the two semifinals automatically advanced to Monday’s final, along with the next four fastest overall.
Hannah Steelman of Orono was 10th (16:28.53) in the same semifinal as Smith and did not qualify on time.
Smith is also entered in the 10,000 meters on June 29. In addition to a top-three finish in either event, Smith also needs to achieve the Olympic standard – 14:52 for the 5,000 or 30:40 for the 10,000.
Earlier Friday, Victoria Bossong of Cumberland finished ninth in her 800-meter heat and failed to qualify for the semifinals.
Bossong, who just completed her junior year at Harvard, ran 2:04.99 in the second heat.
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