Allyson Felix Wins 10 Medals, Becomes Most Decorated Female Track and Field Athlete in Olympic History
TOKYO (AP) — She describes herself as “old.” She concedes she wasn’t sure she’d make it this far. There were times, though, when “making it” had nothing to do with the Olympics and everything to do with simply climbing out of her hospital bed.
No wonder Allyson Felix came to these, her last Olympics, with little fear of losing.
And it shouldn’t surprise anyone by now to learn that instead, on Friday night, she won.
(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
“A lot of times, I have tied my own work to what happens in these championships,” she said. “And I didn’t want to do that this time. I’ve been through too much. I always run for gold. But I just wanted to have joy no matter what happened tonight.”
Felix’s 10th Olympic medal broke a tie with Jamaican sprinter Merlene Ottey, and matches Carl Lewis, who was alone as the most decorated U.S. athlete in track. Felix could surpass Lewis on Saturday, when she is expected to be part of the U.S. 4×400 relay. Paavo Nurmi of Finland holds the all-time mark with 12 medals from 1920-28.
Felix started Friday’s race from the loneliest spot on the track: Lane 9, on the outside, with a phalanx of sprinters — each one younger, each one perhaps wondering if they could be the “Next Allyson Felix” — behind her where she could not see them.
