Allyson Felix facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Allyson Felix

Felix at the 2016 Rio Olympics
Personal information
Full name	Allyson Michelle Felix
Born	(1985-11-18) November 18, 1985 (age 39) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	University of Southern California (BA)
Height	5 ft 6 in
Weight	125 lbs
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	Sprint
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	100 m: 10.89 s (London 2012) 150 m: 16.36 s (Manchester 2013) 200 m: 21.69 s (Eugene 2012) 400 m: 49.26 s (Beijing 2015)
Medal record Women's athletics Representing the  United States Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 7 3 1 World Championships 14 3 3 World Indoor Championships 1 0 0 Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing 4 × 400 m relay Gold 2012 London 200 m Gold 2012 London 4 × 100 m relay Gold 2012 London 4 × 400 m relay Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4 × 100 m relay Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4 × 400 m relay Gold 2020 Tokyo 4 × 400 m relay Silver 2004 Athens 200 m Silver 2008 Beijing 200 m Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro 400 m Bronze 2020 Tokyo 400 m World Championships Gold 2005 Helsinki 200 m Gold 2007 Osaka 200 m Gold 2007 Osaka 4 × 100 m relay Gold 2007 Osaka 4 × 400 m relay Gold 2009 Berlin 200 m Gold 2009 Berlin 4 × 400 m relay Gold 2011 Daegu 4 × 100 m relay Gold 2011 Daegu 4 × 400 m relay Gold 2015 Beijing 400 m Gold 2017 London 4 × 100 m relay Gold 2017 London 4 × 400 m relay Gold 2019 Doha 4 × 400 m relay Gold 2019 Doha 4 × 400 m mixed Gold 2022 Eugene 4 × 400 m relay Silver 2011 Daegu 400 m Silver 2015 Beijing 4 × 100 m relay Silver 2015 Beijing 4 × 400 m relay Bronze 2011 Daegu 200 m Bronze 2017 London 400 m Bronze 2022 Eugene 4 × 400 m mixed World Indoor Championships Gold 2010 Doha 4 × 400 m relay Diamond League 2010 200 m 2010 400 m 2014 200 m 2015 200 m

Allyson Michelle Felix (born November 18, 1985) is a retired American track and field athlete. She is known for her incredible speed in sprint races like the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters. Allyson is the most decorated American track and field athlete in Olympic history. She has won 11 Olympic medals in total.

Allyson Felix is also the most decorated athlete, male or female, in World Athletics Championships history. She has earned 20 medals at these championships. Throughout her career, she won 7 Olympic gold medals, making her the first female track and field athlete to achieve this. She also played a big part in changing policies for pregnant athletes. In 2021, she started her own footwear company called Saysh.

Early Life and School Years

Allyson Felix was born in Los Angeles, California, on November 18, 1985. Her father, Paul, is a minister and professor. Her mother, Marlean, is an elementary school teacher. Allyson's older brother, Wes Felix, was also a sprinter. He even won championships in the 200 meters. Today, Wes works as Allyson's agent.

Allyson believes her running talent is a gift from God. She feels it's important to use her abilities to the fullest.

High School and Early Running Talent

Allyson Felix went to Los Angeles Baptist High School in North Hills, California. Her teammates called her "Chicken Legs" because she had thin legs, even though she was very strong. She could even deadlift over 270 pounds in high school! Her high school coach, Jonathan Patton, helped her a lot in her early career.

Allyson discovered her running skills when she tried out for track in ninth grade. Just ten weeks later, she placed seventh in the 200 meters at a big state competition. She went on to win five titles at this meet in later seasons. In 2001, she won her first international title in the 100 meters at the Debrecan World Youth Championships.

In 2003, she was named the national "High School Athlete of the Year." That same year, she ran the 200 meters in 22.11 seconds. This was the fastest time ever for a high school girl.

Turning Professional and College

After graduating high school in 2003, Allyson made a big decision. She chose to become a professional athlete instead of competing in college sports. She signed a contract with Adidas. Adidas paid her and also covered her college tuition at the University of Southern California. She earned her degree in elementary education in May 2008.

Professional Career Highlights

Allyson Felix's professional career began with a bang. She quickly became one of the world's top sprinters.

First Olympic Medal and World Titles

At just 18 years old, Allyson won an Olympic silver medal in the 200 meters at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She set a new world junior record with her time of 22.18 seconds. After this, she started training with coach Bob Kersee, who would guide her for 18 years.

In 2005, at age 19, Allyson became the youngest world champion ever in the 200 meters at the Helsinki World Championships. She successfully defended her title two years later in Osaka. At the 2007 Osaka World Championships, she ran the 200 meters in 21.81 seconds, her fastest time yet. She also helped the U.S. win gold in both the 4 × 100 meters relay and the 4 × 400 meters relay. This made her only the second woman to win three gold medals at a single World Championships.

Felix celebrating her victory at the 2007 Osaka World Championships

Olympic Gold and More World Titles

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Allyson won a silver medal in the 200 meters. She then earned her first Olympic gold medal as part of the U.S. women's 4 × 400 meters relay team.

In 2009, at just 23, Allyson won her third 200-meter world championship gold medal. This was a first for women's sprinting. She also won another gold medal with the U.S. 4 × 400 meters relay team.

Felix during the 200 meters final at the 2009 Berlin World Championships

Focusing on the 400 Meters

In 2010, Allyson started focusing more on the 400-meter race. She became the first person to win two IAAF Diamond League trophies in the same year, for both the 200 meters and 400 meters.

At the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, she competed in both the 200 meters and 400 meters, as well as two relay races. She won silver in the 400 meters and bronze in the 200 meters. She also helped Team USA win gold in both the 4 × 100 meters and 4 × 400 meters relays. She was the only athlete to leave the championships with four medals.

Felix and Montsho at the finish line in 2011 Daegu World Championships

London 2012 Olympic Success

The 2012 Summer Olympics in London were a huge success for Allyson. She competed in four events. She placed fifth in the 100 meters. However, she won gold in the other three events: the 200 meters, 4 × 100 meters relay, and 4 × 400 meters relay. This made her the first American woman since 1988 to win three gold medals in track and field at one Olympics.

In the 200 meters final, a race she had lost twice before at the Olympics, she finally won her first individual Olympic gold medal. Her 4 × 100 meters relay team set a new world record of 40.82 seconds.

Felix running second leg on the U.S. 4 × 400 meters relay team at the 2012 London Olympics

Injury and Comeback

In 2013, Allyson suffered a hamstring injury during the 200 meters final at the World Championships in Moscow. She had to take nine months off to recover.

She made a strong comeback in 2015. She won the 400 meters at the U.S. national championships. This earned her a spot at the 2015 Beijing World Championships. There, she chose to focus on the 400 meters and won the gold medal with a personal best time of 49.26 seconds. She became the first woman to win world titles in both the 200 meters and 400 meters. She also won two silver medals in the 4 × 100 meters and 4 × 400 meters relays. In the 4 × 400 meters relay, she ran an amazing 47.72-second leg, which is one of the fastest ever by a female athlete.

Felix after her victory at the 2015 Beijing World Championships.

Rio 2016 and More Medals

Allyson started her 2016 season with an ankle injury from a gym accident. Despite this, she competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials for the 200 meters and 400 meters. She won the 400 meters, but narrowly missed qualifying for the 200 meters.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Allyson added three more Olympic medals to her collection. She won a silver medal in the 400 meters. She then won two gold medals with the U.S. 4 × 100 meters and 4 × 400 meters relay teams. The 4 × 100 meters relay win was special because the team had to re-run their semi-final alone after a dropped baton incident. They still made it to the final and won gold.

Felix at 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials

In 2017, at the World Championships in London, Allyson won three more medals. She earned a bronze in the 400 meters. She also won two more gold medals in the 4 × 100 relay and 4 × 400 meters relay. This made her the most decorated athlete in World Athletics Championships history.

Advocacy and Entrepreneurship

Allyson Felix took a break from racing in 2018. She later shared her difficult pregnancy story. She developed a serious condition called pre-eclampsia and had to have an emergency C-section to deliver her daughter prematurely.

Felix at a 2019 U.S. House hearing

Speaking Out for Mothers

Motivated by her experience, Allyson spoke before the United States House Committee on Ways and Means. She talked about the challenges Black mothers face in healthcare. She also wrote an article for The New York Times in May 2019. In it, she said that her sponsor, Nike, did not want to guarantee her salary if her performance dropped after childbirth. This led to a public discussion about how sports companies support pregnant athletes.

After this, Nike changed its policy in August 2019. They promised not to reduce salaries for 18 months due to pregnancy. Allyson then left Nike and signed a sponsorship deal with Athleta in July 2019.

Launching Saysh

In July 2019, Allyson returned to competition after giving birth. She competed in the 2019 Doha World Championships. She helped set a world record in the first-ever mixed-gender 4 × 400 meters relay. She also earned another gold medal in the women's 4 × 400 meters relay heats. With these medals, she passed Usain Bolt for the most gold medals by any athlete in World Athletics Championships history.

In June 2021, Allyson launched her own footwear company called Saysh. She started wearing her brand's spikes in competitions. That same month, she qualified for her fifth Olympic Games.

Final Olympic Games and Retirement

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in 2021), Allyson Felix, at 35 years old, won a bronze medal in the 400 meters final. This was her 10th Olympic medal. She then won a gold medal in the women's 4 × 400 meters final. This 11th Olympic medal made her the most decorated American track and field athlete in Olympic history, passing Carl Lewis.

In April 2022, Allyson announced she would retire at the end of that year. Her last competition was the World Athletics Championships in Eugene in July 2022. There, she won gold in the women's 4 × 400 meters relay and bronze in the mixed 4 × 400 meters relay.

Achievements and Awards

Allyson Felix has received many awards for her amazing career.

• She won the Jesse Owens/Jackie Joyner Kersee Award five times. This award is given to the best athlete of the year by USA Track & Field.
• In 2012, she was named the IAAF Female World Athlete of the Year.
• In 2022, she received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.
• In July 2024, ESPN ranked Allyson Felix at number 63 on their list of the 100 greatest athletes of the 21st century.
• In 2022, she received an honorary degree from her college, USC. She also gave the speech at their graduation ceremony that year.
• In December 2024, Allyson Felix was included on the BBC's 100 Women list.

Personal Bests

These are Allyson Felix's fastest times in her main events:

• At the 2015 World Championships, Allyson ran the third leg of the 4 × 400 meters relay in 47.72 seconds. This is the fastest 4 × 400 meters split ever by an American woman.

National Titles

Allyson Felix has won many national championships in the U.S.:

• Six-time national 200 meters champion (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012).
• Three-time national 400 meters champion (2011, 2015, 2016).
• U.S. national 100 meters champion in 2010.

She is the first woman ever to win U.S. national titles in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters.

Personal Life

Allyson Felix is married to American sprinter and hurdler Kenneth Ferguson. They have a daughter, born in 2018, and a son, born in 2024. Allyson is a Christian.

Images for kids

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  Felix at the 2016 Rio Olympics

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  Felix celebrating her victory at the 2007 Osaka World Championships

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  Felix during the 200 meters final at the 2009 Berlin World Championships

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  Felix and Montsho at the finish line in 2011 Daegu World Championships

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  Felix running second leg on the U.S. 4 × 400 meters relay team at the 2012 London Olympics

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  Felix after her victory at the 2015 Beijing World Championships.

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  Felix at 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials

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  Felix at a 2019 U.S. House hearing

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  Felix as a member of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition

See also

In Spanish: Allyson Felix para niños