Allyson Felix Wins Bronze in 4x400-Meter Mixed Relay with Team USA in Final Race
Track and field legend Allyson Felix's competitive career is now over after she helped the United States earn a bronze medal in the 4x400 mixed relay at the World Track and Field World Championships on Friday.
The Dominican Republic took first, and the Netherlands finished second. Poland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica and Nigeria made up the rest of the octet from Eugene, Oregon's Hayward Field.
Felix, Elija Godwin, Vernon Norwood and Kennedy Simon represented Team USA. Felix replaced Wadeline Jonathas, who ran the heat en route to the United States' world lead qualifier time of 3:11.75.
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No athlete has ever won more World Championship or Olympic medals in track-and-field history combined than Felix, who leaves the sport with 20 golds (seven Olympic, 13 World Outdoor Championships), six silvers (three apiece in Olympics and Worlds) and four bronze (one Olympics, three Worlds).
Her dominance best exhibited itself in the women's 4x400-meter relay, where she won Olympic gold in all four of her tries. The ex-USC star has also earned five World Championship golds in the event. The mixed 4x400-meter relay is fairly new to the international scene, as it made its debut at the 2019 Worlds and 2020 Tokyo Games. This marks Felix's first medal in the event.
It's a fitting way to end a phenomenal career. Felix foreshadowed its end when she announced last April on social media (h/t OlympicTalk) that 2022 would mark her last competitive season. The statement read in part:
"I have given everything I have to running and for the first time Iโm not sure if I have anything left to give. I want to say goodbye and thank you to the sport and people who have helped shape me the only way I know howโwith one last run. This season isnโt about the time on the clock, itโs simply about joy."
The seasonโand Felix's careerโhave now come to a close. She leaves the sport, taking yet another step onto the podium to put a bow on one of the best resumes in track-and-field history.
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