The 2022 World Athletics Championships are underway in Eugene, Oregon, and the mixed 4×400 relay adjourned with a historic moment. Athletics legend Allyson Felix ran the second leg and took home the bronze for Team USA, her 19th and last world championship medal.

Earlier this year, the seven-time Olympic champion announced she will retire at the end of the 2022 season. A month before bidding farewell to the sport for good, she ran her final major championship race.

Allyson Felix: a living legend

Though Allyson Felix didn’t manage a golden finish, she expressed her gratitude for the sport and for being able to run her final championship race on home soil. “To be able to come here in front of a home crowd, it’s something I’ve always wanted,” she said after the race. “To be able to have that, obviously not in the prime of my career, to finish here tonight, to have (daughter) Cammy in the stands, to share that moment meant a lot.”

Not only did she become the most decorated woman track Olympian in history, but she used her platform to advocate for pregnancy and maternity rights in sports. She is an inspiration to generations of young track athletes. US champion Anna Hall grew up with posters of Felix on her wall.

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“Just the way that you carried yourself your entire career has really just set a great example for the rest of the girls in America to follow in sport, so thank you,” she said in her message to the Olympic legend. Noah Lyles also chipped in to pay tribute to Allyson Felix. “I remember she ran 21 seconds, and at the time, my personal best was 22 seconds, and it was like, ‘Dang, this woman is faster than me.”

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With thirty major international medals and some stunning performances on the track, Felix has rounded up her legacy with grace. “I think it’s been about being a representation for women, mothers — I really felt that, all over tonight, I felt the love,” she said. “I felt joy running tonight.” 

Fans pay tribute to the G.O.A.T. of track and field

Allyson Felix has had a huge impact on the sport. Even Google participated in honoring her exceptional career. If you search up the name “Allyson Felix”, a fun little animation of the athlete runs across the screen with the words, “Olympian”, “Mother”, and “Advocate”. It ends with an uplifting “Congrats on 20 unstoppable years.”

Of course, the massive fan base of the athlete didn’t fall behind in appreciating the champion. They bombarded Twitter, professing their love and respect for Felix and her achievements.

Competing in 5 different Olympics, in Athens, Beijing, London, Rio, and Tokyo, Felix had a long career where she inspired hundreds of fans and athletes to chase after their dreams and fight for their rights. She has cemented herself in history as one of the greatest track athletes of all time.

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