She ran her fastest time since 2017 to advance to the women's 400-meter final at the Tokyo Olympics.
In her fifth Olympics, Allyson Felix has advanced to the women's 400-meter final with a 49.89 run to take second in her respective semifinal heat. She looks to win her 10th Olympic medal, which would tie her with Carl Lewis for the most medals in history by a U.S. track and field athlete.
The top two women in each semifinal heat and the next two fastest advanced to the final. Felix pulled together her fastest race since July 2017 to advance to her sixth individual Olympic final. She owns one gold and two silver medals in the 200 meters. At the '16 Olympics, she took silver behind Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas, who dived across the finish line.
"It was a fight to get here," Felix said. "When I was younger, I never really thought about making a final. This time, you get older and it seems harder. You just have to get smarter and figure it out. I had to take it one round at a time. It is a very humbling experience but very rewarding to see the progress."
It is also her fastest time since giving birth to her daughter, Camryn, in 2018.
"There are a lot of moments when I was doubtful that I would be able to feel like myself again," Felix told reporters. "Hopefully, a lot of mothers will see themselves in me. I just want to be that inspiration."
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