As the Tokyo Olympics near their conclusion, Allyson Felix saw an opportunity to achieve greatness for the United States' Track and Field team. In her fifth and final Olympics, she did exactly that.
On Friday, Felix finished in 49.46 to take bronze in the 400-meter final. Overall, it's Felix's 10th Olympic medal. She has won six gold, three silver and now one bronze. Those 10 medals tie her with the great Carl Lewis as the most decorated Olympic track athlete in U.S. history. Felix has a chance to pass Lewis by the end of these Games, as she's "expected" to compete in Saturday's women's 4x400 relay final.
"This one is extra special," Felix said on the NBC broadcast after her medal-winning race. "This medal means so much."
Elsewhere in the women's 400-meter final, the Bahamas' Shaunae Miller-Uibo ran an area-record 48.36 to win gold while the Dominican Republic's Marileidy Paulino took silver with a national-record time of 49.20.
Felix is also now the most-decorated female track and field athlete in Olympic history. Her tenth medal gives her one more than Jamaica's Merlene Ottey.
Felix was not the only American who won hardware on the track on Friday morning.
Team USA finished behind a blistering Jamaica in the women's 4x100 final to earn silver. The Americans -- represented by Teahna Daniels, Gabby Thomas, Javianne Oliver and Jenna Prandini -- ran a season-best 41.45 compared to Jamaica's national-record 41.02. Britain won bronze with a 41.88. The women's 4x100 final gave Thomas her second medal of the 2021 Games, as she also earned bronze in the women's 200-meter final. Not bad for a Harvard-educated neuroscientist
American Paul Chelimo (12:59.05) earned bronze in the men's 1500-meter final, his second consecutive medal in this event. Prior to Chelimo earning silver in the 2016 Rio Games, the U.S. hadn't medaled in the men's 1500-meter since 1964. Chelimo dove ahead of Kenya's Nicholas Kipkor Kimeli in the final meters to earn his medal
In the women's 1500 meter final, the U.S. did not medal. Kenya's Faith Kipyegon took home gold with an Olympic record 3:53.11 while Britain's Laura Muir earned silver with a national-record 3:54:50 . The Netherlands' Sifan Hassan won bronze with a 3:55:86. Americans Elinor Purrier St.Pierre (4:01.75) and Cory Ann McGee (4:05.50) finished 10th and 12th, respectively.
Italy won the men's 4x100 relay in as close a race as possible. The Italians finished with a national-record time of 37.50, only a hundredth of a second above Britain's 37.51. Canada won bronze with a 37.70. Team USA, which came into these Games as the favorite in this event, failed to qualify for the final after what the former Olympian Lewis described as a "clown show" of a qualifying performance.
Team USA's Allyson Felix runs a season-best 49.46 to earn bronze in the women's 400-meter final. That's the five-time Olympian's 10th career Olympic medal, tying her with fellow American Carl Lewis for the most by any track and field athlete.
Italy, which finished third in its qualifying heat, stunned the world by winning the men's 4x100 relay. The Italians posted a national-record time of 37.50 to finish just a hundredth of a second above Britain's 37.51. Canada earned bronze with a 37.70.
American Carl Lewis, the most decorated track and field Olympian of all time, called the Americans' Round 1 performance in the men's 4x100 relay a "clown show" in an interview with USA Today.
The men's 4x100 relay is set to begin, but the U.S. will not participate as it finished sixth and out of qualifying position in the first round.
This is Gabby Thomas' second medal of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, as she also earned bronze in the women's 200-meter.
Team USA earns a silver medal in the women's 4x100 relay final with a season-best 41.45. Jamaica took gold in runaway fashion, setting a national record with a time of 41.02. Britain took home bronze with a time of 41.88.
Only one of the Americans in this women's 4x100 final has Olympic experience: Jenna Prandini, who competed in the 2016 Rio Games.
The women's 4x100 relay runners are on the track and ready to go for the final. Teahna Daniels, Gabby Thomas, Javianne Oliver, Jenna Prandini will represent the U.S.
China's Liu Shiying wins gold in the women's javelin throw final with a season-best throw of 66.34. Poland's Maria Andrejcyzk (64.61) and Australia's Kelsey-Lee Barber (64.56) took silver and bronze, respectively.
The women's 4x100 is up next with the Americans competing in Lane 6. After running a 41.90 to finish second in the qualifiers, the Americans are heavy favorites to medal.
Team USA is held out of the podium in the women's 1500 meter final. Kenya's Faith Kipyegon won gold with an Olympic record 3:53.11, Britain's Laura Muir earned silver with a national-record 3:54:50 and the Netherlands' Sifan Hassan took bronze with a 3:55:86. Purrier St. Pierre (4:01.75) and McGee (4:05.50) finished 10th and 12th, respectively.
