Allyson Felix, the most decorated Olympic runner in U.S. history, finished second in the women’s 400-meter final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials on June 20 to make her fifth Olympic team.
Quanera Hayes won in 49.78. She was followed by Felix (50.02) and Wadeline Jonathas (50.03).
Results and highlights from the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials
“I am proud of making it to this moment,” Felix said after the race. “There has been so much that has gone into this, and there were many times where I didn’t think I would get to this moment.”
Running from lane 8, Felix almost immediately made up the stagger on Kaylin Whitney in lane 9. Hayes, in lane 6, and Jonathas, in lane 5, responded, and were ahead of Felix coming through the final turn.
As they straightened out into the final 100 meters, Hayes was clearly in control. Felix had not run a strong second turn, and her chances of finishing in the top three looked shaky. But the veteran remained calm and held her form, as the women who had run more aggressively in the third 100 meters faltered a bit, and she just eased past Jonathas at the line.
“I told myself before the race that when it comes down to it, I have to fight,” Felix said. “That’s been a theme of mine for the past couple years. I was just gonna give my all and leave it all on the track.”
The opening round of the women’s 400 at the Tokyo Games is scheduled for Tuesday, August 3.
Felix already owns six Olympic gold medals and three silvers in the 200 meters, 400 meters, and various relays. In addition to potentially adding to that individual count in Tokyo, Felix is also eligible to run on the 4x400-meter relay team for the United States. Hayes, Jonathas, and Felix were all on the U.S. squad that won that relay at the 2019 World Championships.
Felix, 35, said in April that her training for the Trials had been more challenging than usual. She has struggled to find tracks to train on in Los Angeles, where she lives, during the pandemic, and much of her focus has been on her two-year-old daughter, Camryn, who is her top priority—and motivation.
The sprinter has been vocal about protecting the rights of athletes who have lost pay during pregnancy, like she did when she was under contract with Nike. (In 2019, Felix signed a contract with Athleta.) Her influence has helped the standards in the industry evolve.
Sarah Lorge Butler contributed to this report.
Scott is a veteran running, fitness, and health journalist who has held senior editorial positions at Runner’s World and Running Times. Much of his writing translates sport science research and elite best practices into practical guidance for everyday athletes. He is the author or coauthor of several running books, including Running Is My Therapy, Advanced Marathoning, and Meb for Mortals. Scott has also written about running for Slate, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and other members of the sedentary media. His lifetime running odometer is past 110,000 miles, but he’s as much in love as ever.
