Allyson Felix
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Medal record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Allyson Felix |
|||
Competitor for  United States |
|||
| Women's athletics | |||
| Olympic Games | |||
| Silver | 2004 Athens | 200 m | |
| World Championships | |||
| Gold | 2005 Helsinki | 200 m | |
| Gold | 2007 Osaka | 200 m | |
| Gold | 2007 Osaka | 4x100 m relay | |
| Gold | 2007 Osaka | 4x400 m relay | |
Allyson Felix (born November 18, 1985 in Los Angeles, California) is a track and field sprint athlete, competing internationally for the United States in the 200 meters. Felix, born and raised in southern California, is also a devout Christian and is the daughter of an ordained minister and professor of New Testament at The Master's Seminary in Sun Valley, California. Felix sees her running ability as a gift from God, "My faith is the reason I run - it calms my heart and makes everything feel like a lift. My speed is definitely a gift from Him, and I run for His glory. Whatever I do, He allows me to do it."
In 2007 she became only the second female athlete – after Marita Koch in 1983 – to win three gold medals at a single IAAF World Championships in Athletics.
Contents |
[edit] High School
Felix attended Los Angeles Baptist High School in the San Fernando Valley area of Southern California where she was nicknamed "Chicken Legs" by her teammates; the majority of the five-foot-six, 125-pound sprinter's body is a skinny bottom half. But her slightness belies her strength - she can dead-lift 360 pounds and power-clean 150 - and her speed. Allyson didn't discover her gift until she tried out for track in the ninth grade. Before long, her name was everywhere. Just 10 weeks after that first tryout, she finished seventh in the 200 at the state championships; in the coming seasons, she became a five-time California high school state champ. As a senior, Felix finished second in the 200 at the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships. A few months later, in front of 50,000 fans in Mexico City, she ran 22.11 seconds, the fastest in history for a high school girl.
Felix graduated in 2003, making headlines by foregoing college eligibility to sign a professional contract with Adidas. Adidas paid her an undisclosed sum and picked up her college tuition at USC, where she majored in elementary education.
Felix has also shown that she can overcome adversity. During her junior year of high school, she pulled a hamstring at the state championships and re-injured it a few weeks later at the U.S. Junior National Championships. By the time she made it to the World Juniors in Jamaica, she had lost her edge and ended up in fifth place. News articles said Felix had choked, but she kept her head up. "That was an extremely hard time," she said. "I had to depend on God."
[edit] Professional
At just 18 Felix finished as silver medalist in the 200 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics, behind Veronica Campbell of Jamaica; in doing so set a World Junior record over 200 meters with her time of 22.18. She became the youngest ever gold medalist sprinter in the 200 metres at the World Championships in Helsinki in 2005 and then defended her title at Osaka two years later. At Osaka Felix caught Jamaican Veronica Campbell on the bend and surged down the straight to finish in 21.81 seconds, lowering her own season-leading time by a massive 0.37 seconds. After the final she stated that "I feel so good, I am so excited. I have been waiting for so long to run such a time, to run under 22 seconds. it has not been an easy road, but finally I managed," said Felix. And as for the future "My next goal is not the world record, but a gold in Beijing. I want to take it step by step. I might consider to do both -- the 200 and the 400 meters -- there." She also has plans for the 100m "I like the 100m but it didn't quite come together this year. I haven't reached my potential because I have problems with my start. But I haven't given up on it, I'm still excited to work on it."
Felix is coached by Bobby Kersee - husband & coach of Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
[edit] Achievements
| Year | Competition | Venue | Result | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | US Olympic Track and Field Trials | Sacramento, California | 1st | 200m |
| 2004 Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 2nd | 200m | |
| 2005 | USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championships | Carson, California | 1st | 200m |
| World Championships in Athletics | Helsinki, Finland | 1st | 200m | |
| 2006 | World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 1st | 200m |
| World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 3rd | 100m | |
| 2007 | USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championships | Indianapolis, Indiana | 1st | 200m |
| World Championships in Athletics | Osaka, Japan | 1st | 200m | |
| World Championships in Athletics | Osaka, Japan | 1st | 4x100m relay | |
| World Championships in Athletics | Osaka, Japan | 1st | 4x400m relay |
[edit] Personal bests
- 100 meters - 10.93 2008 (WR 10.49)
- 200 meters - 21.81 2007 (WR 21.34)
- 300 meters - 36.33 2007 (indoors)
- 400 meters - 49.70 2007 (WR 47.60)
[edit] External links
- Official website
- USA Track & Field - Allyson Felix
- Allyson Felix Pictures
- IAAF profile for Allyson Felix
- Allyson Felix's U.S. Olympic Team bio
- Q&A
- Bio in own words
- 2007 interview
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by No Award Given |
Women's Track & Field ESPY Award 2006 |
Succeeded by No Award Given |
| Sporting positions | ||
Preceded by Debbie Ferguson |
Women's 200 m Best Year Performance 2003 |
Succeeded by Veronica Campbell |
| Preceded by Veronica Campbell |
Women's 200 m Best Year Performance 2005 |
Succeeded by Sherone Simpson |
| Preceded by Sherone Simpson |
Women's 200 m Best Year Performance 2007 |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
