 |
Grant FisherAmerican track and field athlete
Date of Birth: 22.04.1997
Country:  USA |
Content:
Grant Fisher
Grant Fisher is an American middle-distance and long-distance runner. He holds American records in the 3000m, two-mile, 5000m, and 10,000m. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Fisher took home bronze medals in the 5000m and 10,000m, becoming the first American to medal in both events at a single Olympic Games.
Early Career
Hailing from Grand Blanc, Michigan, Fisher began running in the spring of seventh grade after joining his school's cross country team. As a high school freshman, Fisher joined both the football and cross country teams, earning varsity letters for both squads.
In 2011, Fisher qualified for the state cross country meet, running a time of 16:14 for 28th place. The following spring in 2012, he qualified for state in the 1600m with a time of 4:30.23. That fall for his sophomore year (November 2012), he missed the Michigan state cross country meet because he was needed by his football team for the state championship game.
The spring of 2013 saw him establish personal bests of 3:50.30 in the 1500m at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics, 4:11.27 in the 1600m at the KLAA Lakes Conference Meet, 4:12.74 in the mile at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals, 8:32.65 in the 3000m at the USATF World Youth Trials, and 9:04.33 in the 3200m at the Michigan state meet. That fall for his junior year (2013), he set personal bests of 15:02 at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional to win the event. Fisher then went on to Foot Locker Nationals, where he also won.
High School Success
Named the Gatorade Cross Country National Player of the Year in both 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, Fisher emerged as a top runner in high school. On June 4, 2015, he became just the seventh American high schooler to run a sub-four-minute mile.
College Career
Competing for Stanford University from 2015 to 2019, Fisher was a 12-time All-American. He competed at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships four times, moving up from 17th place as a freshman to second place as a senior.
Fisher was also a standout on the track in the 5000m at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He was sixth as a freshman with a time of 13:30.13, which, as a 19-year old, qualified him for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. As a sophomore in 2017, he won the national title in the event, becoming the first American underclassman in 28 years to win an NCAA title in the 5000m. Fisher would not reclaim the title at subsequent championships, finishing third as a junior and second as a senior.
Professional Career
2020Fisher placed 4th in the 3000m at the Boston University Last Chance Invitational on February 27, 2020. Teammates Lopez Lomong, Ryan Hill, and Evan Jager all finished ahead of him. Grant's time of 7:39.99 was a personal best for the distance and his first time breaking 7:40.
Due to the lack of racing during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bowerman Track Club held a series of intrasquad meets in the summer of 2020. During these races, Fisher set new personal bests of 3:36.23 in the 1500m and 13:11.68 in the 5000m. He was also part of the club's 4 × 1500 m team that broke the American record in a time of 14:34.97. The races were held at undisclosed locations around Portland, Oregon.
2021
Fisher began 2021 with a series of personal bests, starting with a 7:37.21 in the 3000m at the Prickly Pear Invitational on February 6. Later that month, he improved his 10,000m time to 27:11.29 at The Ten. The time was the fifth-fastest ever run by an American at the distance, and it met the Olympic qualifying standard. On March 6, Fisher set another personal best in the 5000m with a time of 13:02.53 at the Sound Running Invite, also achieving the Olympic standard.
In June, the 24-year-old competed at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials. He finished second in the 10,000m in a thrilling race with Woody Kincaid and Joe Klecker. In the 5000m, he was second again, losing to Paul Chelimo. Less than half a second separated the top three finishers, who all ran the final lap in under 53 seconds. Fisher's top-three finishes in both events qualified him for the postponed 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. At the Games, Fisher placed fifth in the 10,000m in a time of 27:46.39. He returned to the track to finish ninth in the 5000m in a time of 13:08.40.
2022
In 2022, Fisher set four North American records and became the first American to run the 5000m under 12:50 and the 10,000m under 26:40. His record-breaking year began at Boston University on February 12, where he set a North American indoor record in the 5000m with a time of 12:53.73. His time surpassed the previous record of 13:01.26 set by Galen Rupp. At The Ten on March 6, he broke another North American record in the 10,000m, clocking a time of 26:33.84. The result moved him to seventh on the all-time list for the distance.
On May 27, Fisher finished second in the 10,000m at the 2022 USA Track and Field Championships, losing out to Joe Klecker with a time of 28:28.80. He then won his first national title at these championships on June 26, winning the 5000m in a time of 13:03.86. His performances in these events qualified him for both distances at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene. In Eugene on July 17, Fisher placed fourth in the 10,000m final, equaling Galen Rupp for the best-ever finish in the event by an American at the World Championships. He also placed fourth in the 5000m final.
After the World Championships, Fisher competed in three Diamond League meets, finishing in the top three in all three and setting two more North American records. On August 10, he set a record of 7:28.48 in the 3000m at the Diamond League in Monaco, finishing third. The following month, he set another record of 12:46.96 in the 5000m at the Brussels Diamond League, finishing behind Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Fisher closed out his season with a third-place finish in the Diamond League Final in Zurich on September 7.
2023
Injuries Derail Bowerman Track Club TenureFisher competed in the 10,000m at the 2023 USA Track and Field Championships on July 6, aiming to qualify for the 2023 World Athletics Championships. He fell out of the top three, as was necessary to qualify for the World Championships, dropping to fourth on the final lap. An MRI after the race revealed a hip injury, and he scratched from the 5,000m.
While recovering from his injury, Fisher cross-trained to maintain his fitness. He returned to competition on August 31 at the Zurich Diamond League, where he placed third in the 5,000m in a time of 12.54.49. Fisher followed up that performance with a first-place finish in the 3,000m in a time of 7:33.32 on September 6 at the Palio Citta della Quercia in Rovereto, Italy. The 26-year-old closed out his season on September 17 by running the 3000m final of the Diamond League, hosted as part of the Prefontaine Classic. He finished third in a time of
