PARIS, France – Emily Mackay’s run at the Paris Olympics ended Thursday night in the semifinals of the women’s 1,500-meter race at the Stade de France. She finished 13thth In the second of the two heats he had a total time of 4:02.30, but only the best six riders from each heat made it to the final on Saturday.
Despite finishing one round short of the finals in her first Olympic appearance, Mackay’s performance this summer has catapulted her into the national spotlight. She finished second overall in the 1,500-meter race at the USATF Olympic Trials in June and advanced to the semifinals at the current Olympics with a sixth-place finish in her first heat on Tuesday.
“I just felt totally exhausted out there today,” Mackay told reporters after Thursday’s semifinal. “I don’t know exactly what happened, but if I had to guess, it was probably mental and physical exhaustion. I put so much effort into getting to this point and it definitely took a toll on me, even though I didn’t want it to. But it was my first outdoor team, my first Olympic team… so many firsts and so much to be proud of. I told myself I wouldn’t be disappointed if I didn’t make the final, but of course that was my big goal and I thought it was very realistic. I believed in myself so much that I could do it. I’m disappointed, but I’m also so proud and have so much to be thankful for.”
Over the past 12 months, Mackay has represented the United States in several high-profile competitions, winning the bronze medal in the women’s 1,500 meters at both the 2023 Pan American Games and the 2024 World Indoor Championships.
Mackay is Binghamton University’s most accomplished student-athlete during its 24-year NCAA Division I era. She graduated as a five-time United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA) All-American and won seven America East championships in cross country and track and field. She finished 14th overall at the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships, which was her program best, and finished sixth in the 1,500-meter run at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Mackay is the fifth Binghamton student-athlete to ever qualify for the Olympics, joining John Moreau (born 1977), Chris Coleman (born 1989), Yun Qu (born 2005) and Hui-Jue Cai (born 2005).
Moreau qualified for both the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the 1988 Seoul Games in fencing. Coleman was a five-time All-American sprinter on Binghamton’s track and field team from 1986 to 1989, but made it to both the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics in bobsled. Qu and Cai, on the other hand, competed for their native China in the swimming events at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics before joining the Binghamton program.
