Grant Fisher's Daring Run for Bronze in the 10,000 Kicks Off Olympic Track With a Bang

Fisher became just the second American man in the last 56 years to medal in the 10,000-meters at the Olympics. | Michael Steele/Getty Images

SAINT-DENIS, France — The 10,000-meter run unspooled in glorious and dramatic fashion late Friday night, inside an iconic track stadium, in front of a crowd that “raucous” fails to describe. After an American medaled for only the second time in 56 years and third time ever in Olympic competition, words could not convey the enthusiasm surging—in Paris, on social media and all over the world.

This was an ALL CAPS race, a series-of-however-many-exclamation-points one wanted race. There was crying. And 27-year-old American Grant Fisher in the center of it all.