At the Olympic track and field trials in Eugene Sunday, the events were stopped and fans asked to evacuate the new stadium due to extreme heat.
Despite the heat in recent days, Elle Purrier St. Pierre won the women’s 1500 meters in a dramatic race. Shortly after the beginning of the race, the Vermont native was knocked off the track by a transgender runner from Santa Cruz.
Purrier St. Pierre regained her footing, took the lead, and ran away from the field of the best women in the country.
Last year, Purrier broke a 39-year-old record for the women’s mile. She ran 4.16.85 for the mile.
She grew up on a dairy farm in Vermont, but has been training at the elevation in Flagstaff, Arizona.
At the Olympic trials, Elle broke the 33-year-old record in the 1500 set by Mary Slaney. Her time was 3:58.03.
