Allyson Felix wins her 10th track and field medal, equals icon Carl Lewis’s US record

Allyson Felix has set an American medal record for track and field with a bronze in the women's 400-meter race at Tokyo Olympics. On Friday, the 35-year-old’s podium finish was for her 10th track medal at the Olympics, surpassing Merlene Ottey of Jamaica while also tying Carl Lewis’ record for the most by a United States track and field athlete. Allyson Felix finished with a time of 49.46 to clinch the bronze in her season-best performance. The 35-year-old began in the outside lane and got the better of Jamaica’s Stephanie Ann McPherson to clinch third place. Shaunae Miller-Uibo of Bahamas won the gold, having recorded a stellar time of 48.36 to defend her Rio Olympics title successfully. Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino was second after she clocked 49.20. Both Miller-Uibo and Paulino recorded their lifetime bests at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

As for Felix, she won her 10th Olympic medal in her fifth appearance at the Summer Games. She won her first medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, before claiming a gold and silver double in Beijing four years later. The London Olympics saw a hat-trick of gold medals, with another hat-trick of medals, this time including two golds and a silver, followed in Rio. With a bronze at Tokyo, he has now won a medal at every Olympics she has participated in.

She is also the most successful female track and field athlete in Olympic history. Felix also equalled Carl Lewis as the most successful US track and field athlete, who also won 10 medals during his career. Lewis, regarded as sportsman of the century by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was an accomplished sprinter and long jumper. The Athletics legend won four gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and added two gold medals each in the following 1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He also won the silver medal at Seoul, while his final podium finish came at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Allyson Felix Olympic Medals

• 2004 Athens - 200m - Silver
• 2008 Beijing- 200m - Silver
• 2008 Beijing- 4×400 m relay - Gold
• 2012 London - 200m - Gold
• 2012 London - 4x100m - Gold
• 2012 London - 4x400m - Gold
• 2016 Rio - 400m - Silver
• 2016 Rio - 4×100 m relay - Gold
• 2016 Rio - 4×400 m relay - Gold
• 2020 Tokyo - 400m - Bronze

Image Credits: AP