Florida’s Valby joins Gators at Paris Summer Olympics

The Florida Gators now have six athletes on the U.S. Track and Field team which will compete at the Paris Summer Olympics starting later this month.

Distance runner Parker Valby learned Saturday her times in last month’s U.S. Olympic Trials in the 5,000m and 10,000m were good enough to qualify for the Olympics. Valby finished second in the women’s 10,000 meters at the Trials in Eugene, Ore., but she did not have the automatic qualifying standard for the Olympics.

She did.

Valby joins fellow Gators who qualified at the Trials on the U.S. team: Malcolm Clemons, long jump; Anna Hall, heptathlon; Grant Holloway, 110m hurdles; Jasmine Moore, long jump and triple jump and Grace Stark, 100m hurdles.

Although Valby had the Olympic standard for the 5,000m with her fourth-place finish at the Trials, she has decided to focus on the 10,000m in Paris.

As of Monday, UF has 34 athletes competing at the Olympics.