PARIS – In the first round of the 5000m at the 2024 Paris Olympics, rising Harvard track & field senior Graham Blanks made a statement, as the Athens, Georgia native earned a spot in the 5000m final with an impressive performance in his Olympic debut.

Running in the first heat, Blanks navigated a physical race from start to finish. Over the course of the first 1000m meters, Blanks split 3:06.7, putting him in prime position to qualify for Saturday's final. A strong finish in the last 1,000m catapulted Blanks to sixth place, as he earned a spot in the final with a time of 14:09.06.

The 2023 NCAA Men's Cross Country national champion, Blanks is one of two Americans to advance in Paris, as he'll join Grant Fisher in the 5,000m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. During the collegiate season, Blanks earned All-America First Team honors in the 5,000m at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Blanks will run the 5000m final on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 2:00 p.m. eastern standard time. NBC will air all the action live from Paris.

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A pair of former Crimson return to the Stade de France tomorrow. In the morning session, 200m gold medalist Gabby Thomas '19 will join Team USA for the first round of the women's 4x100m, as the race will begin at 5:10 AM. In the afternoon portion, Maia Ramsden '24 will compete in the semifinal of the women's 1500m run. The semifinal begins at 1:35 p.m. and will air live on NBC and Peacock.

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