08/06/2021 19:13
Clarín.com
sports
Updated 08/06/2021 19:13
She describes herself as an
"old lady
." He acknowledges that he doubted he would be competing for so long. There were times when “making it” had nothing to do with the Olympics and more than anything to do with getting out of a hospital bed. It is no surprise then that
Allyson Felix
showed up to her last Olympics without fear of losing. And it was not surprising that he came out winning. Not to be confused:
it was not gold but bronze in the 400 meters
, but that tenth medal made her at the age of 35 the track athlete with the most medals in Olympic history (10).
The tenth medal broke the tie with Jamaican sprinter
Merlene Ottey
and left her tied with
Carl Lewis
, whom she could pass today, when she is expected to be part of the 4x400 relay.
“So many times I gave all the priority to these championships and I did not want to do it this time.
I've had to go through so much ... I always run for gold.
But tonight I just wanted to have a moment of happiness, whatever happens. ''
Felix prepares for the race.
EFE / EPA / CHRISTIAN BRUNA
Felix and the fight of women in athletics
The bronze came almost three years after
Felix sparked a debate about the treatment of women
in athletics and sports in general.
Her six Olympic golds in athletics seemed to have taken a backseat when she announced her pregnancy in 2018 to the sports brand Nike, which offered her a contract on the downside, something she denounced in an article in The New York Times.
“They have told stories that we athletes know to be true, but we are too afraid to speak:
if we have children, we risk having (money) cut from our sponsors during
and after
pregnancy
.
It is an example of a sports industry where the rules are made mostly by men, ”he wrote.
Felix's effort down lane 9;
in the center, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, winner of the gold.
(AP Photo / Charlie Riedel)
Felix referred in his article to the perception in athletics that pregnancy is
"the kiss of death"
for a successful career in the case of female athletes.
Given the uproar generated, Nike had to publicly commit not to discriminate against athletes who decide to be mothers.
Felix broke up with Nike, had a daughter in 2018, and won her medal with sneakers that she designed for the company she founded.
The American also spoke honestly about the difficulty of resuming competition after a pregnancy that required an emergency cesarean section that put the lives of her and her baby at risk.
Felix with her 10th Olympic medal: no woman has achieved that many.
(EFE / EPA / WU HONG)
“My heart ached as I separated from Cammy to go to Tokyo.
It will be the time we have been separated the longest, ”she had written on Instagram about her little girl's separation.
It is not the first championship that Felix has traveled to since his birth.
In Qatar, two years ago, she posed with her daughter and a “Futura Olímpica” diver.
The race
Felix had to start the final in lane 9, the loneliest on the track, the outer.
His rivals were younger and he couldn't see them.
It was a rare scene,
because during his two-decade trajectory he rarely departed from that place
.
It is the one that falls to those who have the least chance of victory.
He was careful to get out very fast, a natural instinct when he has no idea where the rest are going.
He ran an almost perfect career.
I do not win.
Very few people expected that.
She was third at 49.46, behind Bahamian Shaune Miller-Uibo, who took the gold from her five years ago in Rio de Janeiro, when she stretched at the finish line while Felix ran upright, and Dominican Marileidy Paulino.
Ladies and gentlemen, the first woman to win 10 athletic medals at the #Olympic Games!
Applause 👏 for Allyson Felix 🇺🇸 # StrongerTogether # Tokyo2020 https://t.co/nfJMQWCYhQ
- The Olympic Games (@juegosolimpicos) August 6, 2021
After a semifinal that was martyrdom from start to finish, she recognized that she was no longer the young girl from before.
What he didn't say was that the finale wouldn't be a fairy tale.
“These Games have been different.
It sounds like a cliché, but honestly it is something that exceeds the mere fact of going out for a run, '' he commented.
During the week, he gave voice to a theme that found echo in Tokyo: winning is not everything and the pressure of getting on the podium makes the whole effort much more difficult.
"
When I get ready to run, I'm usually scared,
" he wrote on his social networks hours before the race.
I am not afraid of losing.
I lose a lot more than I win.
This is life and this is how it should be. ''
In the end, Felix had nothing to fear.
Source: AP and AFP agencies