Allyson Felix wins gold in women’s relay, becomes most decorated US track Olympian

U.S. track star Allyson Felix helped Team USA secure the gold medal in the women’s 4×400-meter relay in Tokyo on Saturday, setting a record for the most Olympic medals won by any American track and field athlete. 

Felix, along with fellow runners Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad and Athing Mu, came in first place with a time of 3:16.85, followed by Poland in second and the Jamaican team winning bronze. 

The U.S. team’s gold medal continues the American winning streak in the relay event that began in 1996. The U.S. has never won worse than the silver medal in the women’s 4×400-meter relay since it was added to the Olympics in 1972. 

Saturday’s relay marked the final race of Felix’s Olympic career, as the 35-year-old previously said that the Tokyo Olympics would be her last Summer Games. 

The star athlete now has a total of 11 Olympic medals, seven of which are gold and three of which are silver. 

US team of Sydney McLaughlin, Allyson Felix, Dalilah Muhammad and Athing Mu win the 4×400 relay, giving Felix her 11th Olympic medal, more than any American in track and field history.

Carl Lewis held the record with 10 medals until this week.pic.twitter.com/WOM8aojsC3

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) August 7, 2021

THE MOST DECORATED AMERICAN TRACK AND FIELD OLYMPIAN EVER. @allysonfelix | #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/clZUbEvPPo

— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2021

Felix, who joined her team members in a group hug after the race, told reporters that it “was really cool to come together, to get to close out the Olympic Games — and, for me, my Olympic career — in this way,” according to USA Today. 

“I think this is a really special team, because we’re not 400-meter runners,” she added. “I don’t consider myself a 400-meter specialist. We all do different things.”

Felix on Friday had tied the all-time track medal record with her bronze medal win in the women’s 400-meter race, which she finished in 49.96 seconds, the second-fastest time of her career. 

Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas took the gold medal in the individual 400-meter race, while the Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino won silver.

Track legend Carl Lewis, who has 10 Olympic medals in his collection, congratulated Felix on her accomplishment Friday, tweeting, “35 never looked so good.” 

“What an amazing career and inspiration,” he added. “Now on to the relay.”