Prairie Ridge graduate Tarazi makes 2024 Paris Olympics debut

Prairie Ridge alumna Valerie Tarazi made her Olympic debut Friday when she took part in the 200-meter individual medley in Paris.

Tarazi competed in the first heat of the event and finished second with a time of 2 minutes, 20.56 seconds. However, she failed to qualify for the event’s semifinals, ending her Olympic run.

[ Girls swimming: Prairie Ridge grad Valerie Tarazi to compete in 2024 Olympics for Palestine ]

Tarazi, from Crystal Lake, was part of the Palestinian team in the Games, the homeland of her grandfather. The 24-year-old qualified for the Olympics by competing in two world championships meets. She had the highest World Aquatics (formerly known as FINA) points of any female Palestinian swimmer.

During her senior year at Prairie Ridge, Tarazi won her third Northwest Herald Girls Swimmer of the Year honor and also competed in track and field. She was selected as the Northwest Herald Female Athlete of the Year before heading to Auburn.

While her Olympic run is over, Tarazi will continue to compete internationally this year. She will swim in the Indoor Asian Games in November in Bangkok, Thailand, and in the world championships in December in Budapest, Hungary.