Allyson Felix won her 11th career Olympic medal Saturday, passing Carl Lewis to become the most decorated American track and field Olympian.
Felix was pushed over that threshold when she, Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad and Athing Mu won the gold medal in the women’s 4×400-meter relay, clocking a time of 3:16.85, a more than 3-second lead over Poland, which finished second for the silver. The American team has won this event in every Olympics since 1996.
The 35-year-old sprinter, who won a bronze in the 400-meter race on Friday, already had six gold and three silver medals to her name from four previous Olympic games, along with 18 world championship medals, 13 of which are gold. She has said this year’s Tokyo Olympics will be her last.
Following Felix’s win Friday, accolades came in from all over the world, including from two of the sport’s greatest — Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Carl Lewis himself.
“35 never looked so good,” Lewis tweeted. “What an amazing career and inspiration.”
After Joyner-Kersee praised Felix and Lewis as “two of the greatest,” Felix herself responded: “The greatest to ever do it, but to me you are a mentor and friend! Always here for me in all of the ways. Thank you for making it possible for me.”
The Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, will conclude on Sunday.