Former Dancer Valarie Allman Wins Gold Medal in Women's Discus for Team USA: 'I Am So Honored'
INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images Valarie Allman
Valarie Allman just upped America's gold medal tally with one of her own.
The track and field athlete won the women's discus event in Tokyo this week, becoming just the third American woman to snag a gold medal in the sport.
Allman, 26, finished ahead of Germany's Kristin Pudenz, the silver medalist, and Cuba's Yaime Perez, who won bronze.
Speaking to reporters, Allman said she was "so honored" to win her gold medal, adding, "I couldn't be any happier or more proud."
"I'm still waiting for my feet to touch the ground," Allman continued. "Our team is filled with so many incredible athletes, and I am just blown away that I am not only a medallist, I am the gold medalist. It is like a dream come true."
RELATED: Hoda Kotb Is Rooting for Simone Biles Ahead of Beam Final: 'I Hope She Gets a Medal'
ALEKSANDRA SZMIGIEL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Valarie Allman
RELATED: Unforgettable Photos of Athletes Finding Out They Won Gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Allman turned pro in discus back in 2019 but also had a successful career as a dancer. She toured as part of "The Pulse on Tour," a traveling dance convention and workshop, according to Team USA.
"I absolutely loved dance," she said, Team USA reported. "There's something so beautiful about the movement and the coordination and the balance."
Luckily, those balance skills came in handy at the Games.
To learn more about Team USA, visit TeamUSA.org. Watch the Tokyo Olympics now on NBC.