On Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019 American runner, Allyson Felix, beat Usain Bolt’s gold medal record. Felix achieved this by winning her twelfth gold medal running in the mixed gender 4×400 meter relay at the IAAF World Athletics Championship. 

Usain Bolt and Allyson Felix had both been tied at 11 gold medals since 2017, and just 10 months after giving birth to her daughter Camryn, she took part in another World Championship and took the lead over Bolt.

Considering Usain Bolt has held this record since 2011 and is argued to be the fastest man in the world, this was a tremendous accomplishment for Felix. She won her first World Championship gold medal back in 2001. In 2012, Felix was the first athlete since 1988 to win three gold medals in one Olympic Games. She now holds the record of most World Championship gold medals.

With this record, Allyson Felix will be the new name that comes to sprinters minds when asked who they want to be as great as. With recently giving birth to her daughter before taking part in her next World Championship, Allyson Felix was determined in coming back to compete.

Jordan Foster, a junior track runner, said, “Everyone has always looked up to her for her ability to overcome anything people have expected her to not be able to achieve. And the fact that she has risen up is very inspirational and motivational.”

Mt. Hebron’s track coach, Ms. Teyarnte Carter, finds this accomplishment astounding. 

“I was extremely happy for her, for one, that she’s a female. For two, she just had a baby, and for you to bounce back shows to me adversity on how strong women are.” 

With the 2020 Olympics approaching, all eyes will be on Felix’s performance.