Allyson Felix claims bronze in women’s 400-meter final in Tokyo

Allyson Felix won bronze in the women’s 400-meter final in Tokyo on Friday, matching running legend Carl Lewis with 10 medals as the most decorated Olympic track and field athlete in U.S. history. Bahamas’ Shaunae Miller-Uibo secured gold and Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino got silver. 

Felix, who was participating in her fifth Olympics, finished her race in 49.46 seconds, right behind Miller-Uibo ad Paulino. The 35-year-old has won six gold, three silver and now, one bronze. Felix can surpass Lewis if she medals with the women’s 4 x 100-meter relay final on Saturday. 

The Tokyo Games also marked her first as a mother. She shared a touching moment with her daughter, Camry Grace, and fellow Olympian Quanera Hayes and her son, Demetrius, following her performance in the U.S. Track and Field Olympic trials in June. In an interview that day, she reflected on her journey to get back on the track. 

“Today I thought about all the things,” Felix said. “I thought about us fighting in the NICU, fighting for my life…Whatever happened, I just knew all glory to the most high.”

In 2018, Felix underwent an emergency C-section and gave birth to her daughter two months early. Camryn, who Felix said only weighed three pounds at the time, then spent 29 days in the NICU. Ten months later, she won her 12th world championship gold medal, breaking legendary sprinter Usain Bolt’s record.