Mizzou’s Karissa Schweizer punches ticket to Paris Olympics

EUGENE, Ore. (KMIZ)

Former Mizzou track and field star Karissa Schweizer is headed to the Olympic games, once more.

The 28-year-old captured a third-place finish in the women's 5,000 meter final, on Monday night, to punch her ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 14:45.12 mark is the second-fastest 5k performance in Schweizer's career.

The Tiger alum has battled quite a bit of injury and adversity to return to the Olympic Trials, after competing in the Tokyo Olympics. During the NBC broadcast, she said she never thought she'd get back to this point.

"I've been down so many times that I honestly never thought I'd be really, truly back here," she said right after the race. "This is just such a confidence booster for me."

Schweizer will be joined by Elise Cranny, who finished in second, and the event winner Elle St. Pierre in France.