PARIS, France — Former University of Portland runner Woody Kincaid qualified for his second Olympic Games where he will run the men's 10,000-meter race in Paris.
Kincaid's first appearance at the Olympics was in 2021 when he ran the 10,000- and 5,000-meter race in Tokyo. This year, he will only be running the 10,000 meters.
At the 2021 Games, Kincaid placed 14th in the 5,000 meters and 15th in the 10,000 meters, and at the Olympic Trials he was one of just three runners to qualify. The trick for him was he hadn't raced in three months due to injury.
"No one likes to come to Olympic trials having not raced in three months. That was not ideal," Kincaid said. "Now it's looking pretty good. You know, I mean, now I can come around and really sharpen up for Paris."
When discussing his performance right after the trials, Kincaid spoke of how Paris won't be much different and how he needs to focus on himself.
"Just like today, that race today is going to be very similar to the championship race in Paris. So, I think that was great," Kincaid said. "Don't get caught up in any of the weird stuff that anyone is doing and just kind of know who's going to be there in the end and trust your gut."
Even though he didn't run at the local running powerhouse that is the University of Oregon, Kincaid feels proud to be representing the University of Portland and felt the support.
"They're Oregon too, you know. Pilot is always in the shadow of Oregon, but it feels really good to represent UP still now," he said.
With his goal set in mind and a chance at redemption, Kincaid is ready to show up and show out for his alma mater.
Kincaid will go for gold on Aug. 2 in the men's 10,000-meter final.