Alexis Holmes, a sprinter from Hamden, Connecticut, clocked 50.00 in her 400m semifinal heat to advance to Friday’s final at the Paris Olympics.
Hamden's Alexis Holmes ran her way into the final of the women's 400m event in Paris on Wednesday.
Holmes was in the second of three semifinal heats in the Stade de France.
She had to start the heat twice after the runner from Great Britain flinched during the first start, causing race officials to call the runners back for a restart.
Running in Lane 5, Holmes came into the final stretch in fourth, but a late kick pulled her in front of the runners from Jamaica and Great Britain. She easily finished in second place in her heat behind Marileidy Paulino, of the Dominican Republic.
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The top two from each semifinal automatically advance to the final.
Holmes is the only American to advance to the final for a chance to run for a medal.
The sprinter from Hamden, who is competing in her first Olympics, attended Cheshire Academy. Some of her former coaches and others from the school held a watch party for Wednesday's event.
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Alexis' biggest fans, her parents, are in Paris to watch her compete. They will now get a chance to watch her run in the women's 400m final on Friday at 2 p.m. ET.
