Purrier’s mile record earns her USATF Athlete of the Week honors

INDIANAPOLIS -- Elle Purrier (Montgomery Center, Vermont) shattered the American indoor record in the women’s mile to earn USATF Athlete of the Week.

Purrier, who was a World Championships finalist at 5,000m last year in Doha, won the Millrose Games with a strong move over the final lap, clocking 4:16.85 to break Mary Slaney’s existing AR of 4:20.5, set in 1982. She also knocked more than eight seconds off her previous PR as she recorded the second-fastest time in history behind only Genzebe Dibaba’s world record. En route, Purrier passed 1,500m in 4:00.20, the second-fastest indoor time in U.S. history and No. 9 in world history.
 
Full results are here.

Other notable performances from the past week:

• Donavan Brazier — Brazier broke the American record in the men’s indoor 800m for the second year in a row at the Millrose Games, clocking 1:44.22 to trim .19 off his own AR.
• Ajee’ Wilson — Wilson broke her own American indoor record in the women’s 800m at the Millrose Games with a 1:58.29.
• Sam Kendricks — Kendricks broke the American indoor record in the men’s pole vault with a 6.01m/19-8.5 clearance at the Rouen meet in France.
• Annie Kunz — Kunz moved to No. 8 on the all-time U.S. women’s pentathlon list with her 4,610-point winning score at the USATF Indoor Combined Events Championships.
• Garrett Scantling — Scantling took over the No. 8 slot on the all-time U.S. men’s heptathlon list with a winning 6,209-point effort at the USATF Indoor Combined Events Championships.
• Nico Young — Young, a high school senior from Newbury Park, California broke the high school record for the indoor 3,000 meters at the NYRR Millrose Games, finishing 11th in 7:56.97.
• Robyn Stevens — Stevens, 36, broke Susan Randall's American Masters indoor racewalk mile record by nearly 30 seconds at the Millrose Games clocking 6:41.30.

 
Now in its 19th year, USATF’s Athlete of the Week program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of the sport. USATF names a new honoree each week and features the athlete on USATF.org. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week.
 
2020 Winners: January 9, Miranda Melville; January 16, Paul Perry; January 23, Natosha Rogers; January 30, Tyler Day, February 6, Devin Dixon; February 13, Elle Purrier.
 
We welcome your nominations!
 
To nominate an athlete for USATF Athlete of the Week, please send a detailed email about his/her performance to communications@usatf.org.
 
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