Photo: Getty Images
It may not be February, but Black history is still being made each and every day.
Allyson Felix is officially the most decorated American woman in Olympic history. She is also tied with the Carl Lewis as the most decorated track and field athlete in American history. Felix achieved this feat by putting together a bronze medal performance in the women's 400m final. At 35 years old, the Los Angeles native finished behind Marileidy Paulino and Shaunae Miller-Uibo with a time of 49.46 seconds, the fastest she's sun in six years.
Immediately after Felix crossed the finish line, fellow Olympians Carl Lewis and Carmelita Jeter hopped on social media to congratulate her. Her alma mater, the University of Southern California, and Team USA also joined in to shower praise upon the record-breaker.
Saying Felix's career has been incredible is an underestimate. What separates the Los Angeles native from several others is longevity. She has competed in five Olympiads and she's performed her best when the lights shined the brightest. Sixteen years ago, she won her first world championship in the 200-meter dash and she hasn't slowed down since. Over the last decade and change, she's won six Olympic gold medals, 14 world championships and four Diamond League titles. Not to mention, she's done a portion of this while dealing with an off-the-track dispute with Nike and recovering from the birth of her first child.
Felix's performance in Tokyo is the perfect cap to an incredible career. Previously, she suggested that she would retire sometime between the end of the 2021 Summer Olympic Games and the start of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. Still, there is an opportunity for Felix to join her former teammate, Jeter, on the Team USA coaching staff in the future. For now, it is time to give Felix her flowers.
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