Should Parker Valby switch to the triathlon after college?

No.

no. she should invest in acting classes and become an actress.

Valby doesn't fit the norm and when she becomes a pro I hope her coach doesn't instruct her on what's been the norm here in the US. Don't fall for "high mileage works best for everyone " and don't teach her the popular US "slow down " method of racing. Valby needs a coach that understands her fitness and training doesn't fit the American prototype. She won't wn every race but her determination helps her find a way to win. To think her low miles won't be successful at the pro level is baseless. Valby has proven she'll be successful at training that suits her to win.

Make it to Paris doing what? A 15.20 5000m?

Uh, ever heard of Union Athletics Club?

USA Triathlon should be asking this question! The fact that she bikes and swims regularly would give her a little bit of a base. I think it is something she should consider, you wonder if she needs to cross-train so much at the college level if she is going to find success at the pro level running or if she can get past her injuries.

The USA is stacked with Pro females. It would be tough to break in.

I wouldn't exactly say running is superior to triathlon at the moment. There has been a ton of money thrown at triathlon over the last 5 years and it has attracted VERY strong athletes.

Mary Cain had the engine for triathlon and probably could have been halfway decent. Unfortunately, she did not have the drive or mentality. As a result her cycling was pathetic and her swim not much better.

Parker Valby would get eaten alive in a international level triathlon. She doesn't have the build for it. Colleen Quigley is much better suited and even she is a question mark.

Queen Parker would destroy all comers in the triathlon. Let’s be honest: the triathlon is the domain for people who don’t excel in running, swimming, or biking. That’s why Gwen Jorgensen was dominant in the the triathlon but couldn’t hack it as a runner.

Queen Parker doesn’t need to reduce herself to competing in a triathlon because, unlike Jorgensen, Queen Parker excels in running.

I don't see this as disrespect, it is more of a question of how far can someone go in pro running if they can't stay injury free with more than 2-3 days of running. The usual route to the next level is to increase mileage. It sounds like this is not an option for her. But it will be very interesting to see how far she can go with the cross training plan she is currently using.

The same thing can be said about running at the collegiate level. Prior to Queen Parker’s ascendance to the NCAA throne, it was unimaginable that someone could be NCAA cross country champion on only 2-3 days of running per week. Queen Parker has emphatically proven that conventional wisdom doesn’t apply to her. If she can improve at this level, she can continue improving at the next level. We should give her a chance to see what she can do before we suggest she abdicate her throne. Long live the queen!

Why not run for a while and then switch over to Triathlon when you plateau. Not sure about what her potential is relative to the African women that are out there. But you might as well give it professional running a try before you "Tri"..

Valby shared on the Citius podcast that she swam for 14 years. She is probably pretty good

Update: Parker Valby is the NCAA record holder.