Whittni Morgan had a little bit of delayed gratification as she was named to the U.S. Olympic team in the 5000m about a week after the Trials. So how did it happen?

Elle St. Pierre won the 5000m and finished third in the 1500m but has decided to only run the 1500m at the Paris Olympics. This elevated Parker Valby into that final spot for the 5000m after her fourth place finish in the Olympic Trials final.

Valby also finished second in the 10,000m. After a few days of consideration and conversation with her coaches Will Palmer and Samantha Palmer, she decided to just run the 10,000 meters at the Paris Olympics. She qualified for that event based off her World Ranking.

This meant that Whittni Morgan, who finished fifth in the 5000m final, got the final spot for Paris.

In this episode, we chat about what it was like to get that call. Plus, we talk through just how incredible her comeback has been in the past seven months. She underwent patellar tendon surgery in December and did not run on the ground until early February. She ran her season’s best of 15:06 in the Olympic Trials final. Plus, we chat about what it’s been like to be on this journey with coach Diljeet Taylor for the past few years.

The following interview excerpt has been edited lightly for clarity. You can listen to the full interview with Whittni Morgan on the CITIUS MAG Podcast – available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your shows.

CITIUS MAG: What was the order of how you found out that you were named to the Olympic team?

Whittni Orton Morgan: The beginning of last week, because we knew there was a chance ever since Elle (St. Pierre) made the 1500. I was emotional, like, ‘Oh my gosh, I have a chance!’ We were right on the finish line watching. It was an insane race… Then Parker (Valby) made the 10 and she looked incredible. We were like, ‘Well, that's also good for me, we'll just see.’ I was just yelling, ‘Sliver of hope, it's still alive!’ We’ll just keep it alive as long as we can, and then if it dies, it dies. And if it doesn't, then maybe we have a chance. The first three days of this last week were insane. Just anxious, waiting to find out what people were going to choose. Longest week ever, but it turned out to be amazing.

CITIUS MAG: Was the call from Coach (Diljeet) Taylor the first one that you got?

Whittni: Yeah, it was kind of funny because it was literally the second I finished my workout. I was breathing hard and also you're not mentally there when you finish. It was a hard workout and I was like, ‘What are you even talking about? I don't know what you're saying right now.’ But then it hit me and I was like, ‘Holy cow, I don't even know how to process this.’ That was the first time I heard.

CITIUS MAG: The fight for that third spot was essentially wide open and it really did come down to fighting for every single place. Had you been sixth, you wouldn't be going to the Olympics. How did you approach that race for the final spot, not knowing at the time that it was the final spot?

Whittni: I just didn't give up. The 5K is really hard… I chose the 5K as my event because I love that it’s hard and I want to be someone that is known to choose hard things and endure hard things and push through hard things. It was almost like a character thing for me. Like, I need to push through this because this is who I want to be as a human being. I want to be the person that shows up and just literally holds on until you can't. I was very committed to my two focuses of being the smartest and being the toughest. I am really grateful and proud to say that I did not give up that entire race. I was staring at Parker and was like, ‘I can do it’ the entire race. Even though I didn’t actually have a shot when she was increasing the gap, I was like, ‘I can still do it…’ That was my mindset. You just can't be mad when you finish a race like that. I have no regrets with how I raced.

CITIUS MAG: There were so many variables that had to line up for this to happen.

Whittni: Exactly. The pieces were put in the perfect position for me to be here. I wasn't top three. I wasn't even top four. And here I am, I'm going. It’s a miracle.

CITIUS MAG: The idea of the Olympics – when did that start to pop up for you as a possibility? You were an NCAA champion, but is this something that you've dreamed about for a long time?

Whittni: I feel like you dream about it, but do you actually believe it? I believe that I have a lot of talent, but I've had a lot of injuries that interfered with the build you need to get to see your actual potential. I've had little peaks here and there, like last indoor season (2023) when I ran some of my PRs. I had the mindset of, ‘If I don't run well this season, maybe I'll be done.’ It's a lot of work sometimes if you're not feeling like you're accomplishing anything. And then I had that season and I was like, ‘That was pretty crazy.’ That was a huge season for me just as far as staying in this. After that season, I believed that I could race with some of the best. I was getting there, I was getting closer.

But then I had my knee (injury) literally right after that, so I had to take two weeks completely off, which was so frustrating. That took away from my (2023) outdoor USAs. But I still showed up and I still worked as hard as I could with my circumstances. I think things happen for a reason. I pushed through that time and I pushed through again and again. And we ended up here. I think it’s all a part of the journey.

CITIUS MAG: When I had Coach Taylor and Courtney (Wayment) on the show in Eugene. Coach Taylor talked about showing up to practice wearing Paris and France themed things, Eiffel Tower printed stuff, all that. When you were showing up to those practices, did you believe that was also for you? When did you buy in and think, ‘This is for me too.’

Whittni: I'm really naive, so I was like, ‘Yeah, it's for me too.’ I think that's part of the reason why I can come back from injuries, too. I'm like, ‘Okay, maybe I can. Let's just see. Maybe it is for me. We'll see.’ But (Coach Taylor) was manifesting it and she was manifesting it for all of us. She also told me, ‘You have a shot’ – and when you have a woman like Coach Taylor telling you that you have a shot, she doesn't lie. She doesn’t sugarcoat anything. She's the most transparent woman. She will tell you if you are in shape. She will tell you if you're not there. She will be so honest. So if she tells you you have a shot, then you can look at her Paris sweatsuit and be like, ‘Okay, that’s for me.’

CITIUS MAG: Is it rewarding and fulfilling that the two of you have been on this journey together since your BYU days?

Whittni: It's hard to even put into words. It's a lot of years, a lot of ups and downs. She's just consistently been there. I'm not the easiest person to work with and she's stood with me and she's helped me choose hard decisions that have put me in this position so many times. She'll tell you what you don't want to hear. Like, ‘I want to do the 1500, it's so fun.’ And she's like, ‘But you're a 5K girl.’ That's painful to hear, but I learned to love it. This season's been good for that. I know she's there and she gives so much. She gives all of herself. When you have someone like that, it's easier to give all that you have as well. It's hard to even explain. One day I hope I can put into words how meaningful it's been.

Time Stamps:

• 4:02 - Initial reactions after finding out she qualified for the U.S. Olympic team.
• 4:59 - When and how she found out that she made the team.
• 6:40 - How she celebrated qualifying.
• 8:31 - How she returned to training after undergoing surgery.
• 10:20 - Her mindset as she rebuilt fitness post-surgery.
• 11:32 - The details of coming back from knee surgery.
• 13:24 - How she approaches cross training + how she’s utilized it throughout her career.
• 16:58 - Her first few time trials and races post-injury.
• 23:01 - How she handled racing the 5K semi and final at the U.S. Trials.
• 24:48 - Her mindset during the 5K final.
• 30:48 - When her Olympic dreams became an actual possibility.
• 34:05 - Her relationships with Coach Taylor.