US Olympic Trials 2021: Breaking down Allyson Felix's four Olympic Games

Allyson Felix is a household name in the United States. The California-born track and field sprinter is one of the most decorated athletes of her time. The 35-year-old holds the record for the highest number of Olympic gold medals for a female athlete. She has won an unbelievable six gold medals at the mega-event.

The ace sprinter also holds the record for most world medals in the history of track and field events. She has a total of 18 career medals (13 of which are gold).

Felix has represented the US in four Olympics across multiple events and is now looking to win a ticket to Tokyo at the US Olympic Trials 2021. If she manages to qualify for Tokyo, it will be her fifth appearance at the gala event and possibly her last.

Allyson is eager to make it to the Olympic team one last time and cement her status as the best female athlete of all time. After becoming the mother of a beautiful daughter in 2018, Felix is all the more motivated to make her last attempt count.

The renowned athlete has already built a legacy with many budding sprinters looking up to the four-time Olympian as a role model. We will take a look at what Allyson Felix has done at the four Olympics she participated in.

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How has Allyson Felix performed at the Olympics?

#1 2004 Athens Olympics

Allyson Felix during an interview

Felix first tried out track events when she was in ninth grade. Realizing that she has an innate talent in sprinting, Felix soon started channelizing her energy towards athletics.

The talented sprinter became a five-time champion at the CIF California State Meet. Allyson Felix won her first international title at the Debrecan World Youth Championships in 2001 in 100 meters.

A young and dynamic Felix earned a ticket for her maiden Olympics at the age of 18 in 2004. Allyson Felix wanted to make it count and she did so in style.

The youngster set the track ablaze in the Women's 200 meters to bag a silver medal. She completed the race in just 22.18 seconds and set the World Junior record in 200 meters. Veronica Campbell of Jamaica took the gold medal in the event.

It was a tremendous sprinting display and left Felix teary-eyed after winning her first medal at the Olympics. There was no looking back for Felix after this triumph and she went on to win multiple accolades in the next three Olympic Games she participated in.

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#2 2008 Beijing Olympics

The 2008 Beijing Olympics was also a memorable one for Allyson Felix as she got to lay her hands on her first Olympic gold medal.

The fiery sprinter completed the 200 meters with a season's best timing of 21.93 seconds and grabbed the silver medal. Campbell, who ran 200 meters in a decade-best time of 21.74 seconds, won gold.

Felix was also a part of the 4 × 400 meters relay US women's team. As the team finished first after clocking an impressive 3:22.45 seconds, Felix finally got to lay her hands on an Olympic gold medal.

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#3 2012 London Olympics

Allyson Felix poses with her gold medal at the 2012 Olympics

At the 2012 London Olympics Felix competed in a total of four events - 100m, 200m, 4 × 100m relay, and 4 × 400m relay.

Although she was placed 5th in the 100m discipline, Allyson Felix bagged a gold medal in the other three events. It was a justified reward for an athlete who had worked hard for the better part of a decade to make it to the pinnacle.

In the process, she also became the first American woman since Florence Griffith-Joyner at the 1988 Summer Olympics to win three gold medals at a single edition of the quadrennial event.

In the women's 200m finals, Felix finally got the better of nemesis Campbell-Brown. It proved to be third time lucky as Allyson Felix bagged the elusive gold in the event with a timing of 21.88 seconds. Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce took silver while Felix's fellow American Carmelita Jeter bagged the bronze medal.

The US women's 4 × 100m relay team of Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight, Tianna Madison and Carmelita Jeter performed brilliantly on their way to the top of the podium at the London Olympics. The quartet completed the race in an astounding 40.82 seconds to not only bag a gold medal but also set a world record in the event (which happens to stand till date).

In the women's 4 × 400m, Felix and her teammates DeeDee Trotter, Sanya Richards-Ross, and Francena McCorory bagged gold with a timing of 3:16.87. This became the 3rd fastest time in Olympic history for the event.

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#4 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics

(L-R) Natasha Hastings, Phyllis Francis, Allyson Felix and Courtney Okolo of the United States react after winning gold in the Women's 4 x 400 meter Relay on Day 15 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

The 2016 Rio Olympics was another memorable one for the star US sprinter. It was all the more special as she entered the Games after recently recovering from a severe ankle injury. The odds were against her but Allyson Felix had other plans.

Read: Simone Manuel fails to qualify for Tokyo Olympics 2020 in 100m due to mental health issues

Felix really wanted to win the 400m gold medal in Rio and she came agonizingly close to winning it as well. Felix ran a season's best of 49.51 seconds but it was only enough to hand her a silver medal. A dramatic dive at the finish line by Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas helped her to a gold medal with a personal best timing of 49.44 seconds - just 0.07 seconds ahead of Felix.

Allyson Felix soon recovered from the dissapointment of the silver in the 400m as she went on to win two gold medals - one each in 4 × 100m and 4 × 400m relays. The US team consisting of Felix, English Gardner, Tianna Bartoletta, and Tori Bowie won gold in 4 x 100m with a timing of 41.01 seconds.

The quartet of Allyson Felix, Courtney Okolo, Natasha Hastings, and Phyllis Francis then went on to win gold in the Women's 4 × 400 meters relay with a season's best timing of 3:19.06.

Allyson Felix has accumulated 6 gold medals and 3 silver medals at the Olympics across four editions. It is indeed a remarkable achievement. It will be interesting to see if Allyson Felix makes it for the Tokyo Olympics 2020.