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 an amazing American track and field athlete who is now retired. She was a top runner in sprint races like the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters. For many years, she was best at the 200 meters, but later in her career, she focused on the 400 meters.

Allyson Felix is known for being one of the most successful track and field athletes ever. She has won more Olympic medals than any other woman in track and field history. She also has the most medals from the World Athletics Championships of any athlete, male or female! She has won a total of 31 medals from both the Olympics and World Championships.

Beyond her incredible wins, Allyson Felix also made a big difference outside of sports. She helped change how big sports companies like Nike support their pregnant athletes. She even started her own shoe company called Saysh in 2021. Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in both 2020 and 2021.

Early Life and School

Allyson Felix was born in Los Angeles, California, on November 18, 1985. Her dad, Paul, is a minister and a professor. Her mom, Marlean, is an elementary school teacher. Allyson's older brother, Wes Felix, was also a fast runner. He won races in college and now works as Allyson's agent, helping her with her career.

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

Starting Track in High School

Allyson 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 lift heavy weights, like 270 pounds, even in high school! Her high school coach, Jonathan Patton, helped her a lot in her early running days.

Allyson found her talent for running when she tried out for track in ninth grade. Just ten weeks later, she finished seventh in a big 200-meter race. After that, she won five state titles. In 2001, she won her first international race, the 100 meters, at the World Youth Championships. In 2003, she was named the best high school athlete in the country by Track and Field News.

After high school in 2003, Allyson made a big decision. Instead of running for a college team, she signed a professional contract with Adidas. This meant Adidas paid her money and also covered her college tuition at the University of Southern California. She graduated in 2008 with a degree in elementary education.

Professional Running Career

Early Races and First Big Wins

Felix celebrating her victory at the 2007 Osaka World Championships.

When Allyson was just 17, she placed second in the 200 meters at the U.S. national championships. This earned her a spot at the World Championships in Paris.

At 18, Allyson won an Olympic silver medal in the 200 meters at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She set a new world junior record for the 200 meters with her time of 22.18 seconds. After the Olympics, 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 won this title again two years later in Osaka. At the 2007 Osaka World Championships, she ran the 200 meters in 21.81 seconds, which was her fastest time yet. She also helped the U.S. win gold medals in two relay races, the 4 × 100 meters relay and the 4 × 400 meters relay. This made her only the second woman ever to win three gold medals at a single World Championships!

Beijing 2008 and Berlin 2009

Allyson qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing by winning the 200 meters. In the Olympic 200-meter final, she won a silver medal. She then helped the U.S. women's 4 × 400 meters relay team win a gold medal, which was her first Olympic gold!

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

In 2009, at just 23 years old, Allyson won her third 200-meter world championship gold medal. This was a huge achievement for a female sprinter. She also won another gold medal as part of the U.S. 4 × 400 meters relay team.

Focusing on 400 Meters (2010-2011)

In 2010, Allyson started running more 400-meter races. She became the first person to win two IAAF Diamond League trophies in the same year for both the 200 meters and 400 meters. She won 21 out of 22 races that year!

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

At the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, Allyson competed in the 200 meters, 400 meters, and 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 win four medals at those championships!

London 2012 Olympic Success

In 2012, Allyson competed in the Olympic trials for both the 100 meters and 200 meters. She set a personal best and a new meet record in the 200 meters, running it in 21.69 seconds. This was one of the fastest times ever run by an American woman.

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

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Allyson competed in four events. She placed fifth in the 100 meters. But in the 200 meters final, a race she had tried to win twice before, she finally won the gold medal! She ran 21.88 seconds, beating many other top runners.

She then won two more gold medals with the U.S. relay teams. The women's 4 × 100 meters relay team set a new world record with a time of 40.82 seconds. She also helped the 4 × 400 meters relay team win gold. This made her the first American woman since 1988 to win three gold medals in track and field at one Olympics!

In 2013, at the World Championships in Moscow, Allyson had to stop during the 200 meters final because of a hamstring injury.

Comeback and World Championship Gold (2014-2015)

After being away from racing for nine months due to her injury, Allyson returned in 2014. She slowly got back into top shape.

Felix after her victory at the 2015 Beijing World Championships.

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

Rio 2016 and London 2017

Allyson started 2016 with an ankle injury from a gym accident. Even with the injury, she tried to qualify for both the 200 meters and 400 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials. She won the 400 meters, but just missed qualifying for the 200 meters by a tiny amount.

Felix at 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Allyson won three more Olympic medals. She earned 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 was almost disqualified but got a chance to re-run their semi-final and made it to the final, where they won! With these medals, Allyson tied the record for the most Olympic medals won by a female track and field athlete.

In 2017, at the World Championships in London, Allyson added three more medals to her collection. She won a bronze medal in the 400-meter final. She then earned two more gold medals in the 4 × 100 relay and 4 × 400 meters relay. This brought her total to 16 World Championship medals, making her the most decorated athlete in World Championships history!

Advocacy and Return to Running (2018-2019)

Felix at a 2019 U.S. House hearing

In 2018, Allyson took a break from racing. In December 2018, she shared her story about a difficult pregnancy. She had to deliver her daughter early through an emergency C-section. This experience led her to speak out about the challenges Black mothers face in healthcare. She testified before the United States House Committee on Ways and Means, sharing her story to help make things better for other mothers.

In July 2019, Allyson competed in her first race since becoming a mom. She ran in the 400-meter sprint at the U.S. national championships. Even though she didn't qualify for the individual 400-meter race, she was still part of the U.S. 4 × 400 meters relay team. At the World Championships in Doha, she helped set a world record in the first-ever mixed-gender 4 × 400 meters relay. She earned another gold medal as part of the U.S. women's 4 × 400 meters relay team. These wins meant she had more gold medals than Usain Bolt in World Championships history!

Final Olympics and Retirement (2020-2022)

Allyson trained hard during the COVID-19 pandemic to prepare for her fifth Olympic Games. This would be her first Olympics as a mother. She trained wherever she could, including on streets and beaches.

In June 2021, Allyson launched her own shoe company called Saysh. She started wearing her own brand's running spikes in competitions. That same month, at the U.S. Olympic trials, the 35-year-old qualified for the 400 meters individual event. She set a new record for masters athletics (athletes aged 35-40).

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, many people wondered if Allyson would win another medal in the 400 meters final. Despite the doubts, she won the bronze medal, her 10th Olympic medal overall! This made her the most decorated female track and field Olympian. Allyson finished her amazing Olympic career by winning a gold medal in the women's 4 × 400 meters relay. This 11th Olympic medal officially made her the most decorated American track and field athlete in Olympic history.

In April 2022, Allyson announced that 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 won the Jesse Owens/Jackie Joyner Kersee Award five times. This award is given by USA Track & Field to the best athlete of the year. She also received the 2012 IAAF Female World Athlete of the Year award. In 2022, she received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.

Personal Best Times

These are Allyson Felix's fastest times in different races:

• At the 2012 London Olympics, Allyson ran a 48.2-second leg in the 4 × 400 meters relay.
• At the 2015 World Championships, she ran a 47.72-second leg in the 4 × 400 meters relay. 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 times, she was the national 200 meters champion (in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012).
• Three times, she was the national 400 meters champion (in 2011, 2015, 2016).
• She was also the U.S. national 100 meters champion in 2010.

Allyson is the first woman ever to win U.S. national titles in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters during her career.

International Competitions

Here are some of Allyson Felix's results from international competitions:

Representing the  United States

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time
2001	World Youth Championships	Debrecen, Hungary	1st	100 m	11.57
			1st	Medley relay	2:03.83
2002	World Junior Championships	Kingston, Jamaica	5th	200 m	23.48
			2nd (semis)	4 × 100 m relay	43.92
2003	Pan American Games	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic	3rd	200 m	22.93
			1st	4 × 100 m relay	43.06
2003	World Championships	Paris, France	6th (quarter-finals)	200 m	23.33
2004	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	2nd	200 m	22.18
2005	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	1st	200 m	22.16
2006	World Athletics Final	Stuttgart, Germany	1st	200 m	22.11
			3rd	100 m	11.07
2007	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	1st	200 m	21.81
			1st	4 × 100 m relay	41.98
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:18.55
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	2nd	200 m	21.93
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:18.54
2009	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	1st	200 m	22.02
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:17.83
2010	World Indoor Championships	Doha, Qatar	1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:27.34
2011	World Championships	Daegu, South Korea	3rd	200 m	22.42
			2nd	400 m	49.59
			1st	4 × 100 m relay	41.56
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:18.09
2012	Olympic Games	London, United Kingdom	5th	100 m	10.89
			1st	200 m	21.88
			1st	4 × 100 m relay	40.82 OR WR
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:16.88
2013	World Championships	Moscow, Russia	DNF	200 m	Injured
2015	World Relays	Nassau, Bahamas	2nd	4 × 100 m relay	42.32
	World Championships	Beijing, China	1st	400 m	49.26
			2nd	4 × 100 m relay	41.68
			2nd	4 × 400 m relay	3:19.44
2016	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	2nd	400 m	49.51
			1st	4 × 100 m relay	41.01
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:19.06
2017	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	3rd	400 m	50.08
			1st	4 × 100 m relay	41.82
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:19.02
2019	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	1st	4 × 400 m mixed relay	3:09.34 WR
			1st (heats)	4 × 400 m relay	3:22.96
2021	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	3rd	400 m	49.46 MWR
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:16.85
2022	World Championships	Eugene, Oregon, USA	3rd	4 × 400 m mixed relay	3:10.16 SB
			1st (heats)	4 × 400 m relay	3:23.38

Golden League Wins

• 2008 (2 wins) – Rome (400 m), Zurich (200 m)

Diamond League Wins

• 2010 (7 wins) – Doha (400 m), Eugene (400 m), Paris (200 m), Stockholm (200 m), London (400 m), Zürich (400 m), Brussels (200 m)
• 2011 (3 wins) – Doha (400 m), Rome (400 m), New York (200 m)
• 2012 (2 wins) – Doha (100 m), Eugene (200 m)
• 2013 (1 win) – London (200 m)
• 2014 (3 wins) – Oslo (200 m), Stockholm (200 m), Brussels (200 m)
• 2015 (2 wins) – Doha (200 m), Lausanne (200 m)
• 2017 (1 win) – London (400 m)

Diamond League Titles

• 2010 Overall 200 m Diamond Race Title
• 2010 Overall 400 m Diamond Race Title
• 2014 Overall 200 m Diamond Race Title
• 2015 Overall 200 m Diamond Race Title

Sports Advocacy

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

Allyson Felix was part of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition under President Barack Obama. This group helps create programs to encourage healthy living for people of all ages. As a council member, she promoted healthy school breakfasts and participated in events with First Lady Michelle Obama.

In 2014, Allyson traveled to Brazil as a Sports Envoy for the U.S. Department of State. She worked with young people, including those with disabilities, to teach them about important life values like respect and discipline through sports.

Awards

• World Athletics Awards
  • World Athlete of the Year (Women)：2012

• In December 2024, Allyson Felix was included on the BBC's 100 Women list.

Personal Life

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

See Also

In Spanish: Allyson Felix para niños

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event

Images for kids

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  Allyson Felix at a 2019 U.S. House hearing