I respectfully disagree. She is our most decorated track athlete of all time who just ran her final global championship race. Winning 30 medals is worthy of such a tribute.
Many of us here wish track and field got more attention in the States. I’m happy to see it.
I respectfully disagree. She is our most decorated track athlete of all time who just ran her final global championship race. Winning 30 medals is worthy of such a tribute.
Many of us here wish track and field got more attention in the States. I’m happy to see it.
Newsflash: they are relay medals. She has been given (yes, given, as opposed to earned) legs on nearly every relay squad for more years than I can count. Not impressed, myself.
Really sick of trolls like this who of course have never had the success that Felix has had. No one who means anything in T&F cares that you’re not impressed. She’s had 5 Olympic individual event medals (1G / 3S / 1B), and 6 relay medals. Your snide dismissal does not take into account that for most of those relay medals she was a key part of winning that medal. She also has 7 WC medals (4G / 1S / 2B). She also ran in 5 Olympic Games. The Google tribute was delightful. In a world of Sha’Carris, Felix is a joyful presence and a shining beacon for the sport. We need more athletes like Felix, not fewer.
I respectfully disagree. She is our most decorated track athlete of all time who just ran her final global championship race. Winning 30 medals is worthy of such a tribute.
Many of us here wish track and field got more attention in the States. I’m happy to see it.
Newsflash: they are relay medals. She has been given (yes, given, as opposed to earned) legs on nearly every relay squad for more years than I can count. Not impressed, myself.
Wow, you’re difficult to impress. 12 of those medals were individual. According to Track & Field News, she’s the 6th best combo sprinter of all time, and she’s one of only nine women in history who have run sub-11, sub-22, and sub-50. https://trackandfieldnews.com/greatest-women-combo-sprinters
Add to that her longevity as a world-class sprinter, winning an *individual* medal at 5 Olympics (seems to me if someone is top 3 in the world then they deserve a spot on the relay), her advocacy for maternal rights, providing free childcare for athletes and coaches at track meets, and her overall influence beyond the sport (named by Time Magazine as one of the top 100 influential people), and I’d say she’s pretty impressive.
How nice that she’s a mother, just like 85 million others in the US and 2 billion+ worldwide.
You’re missing the point of all the commentary and features on her motherhood. The point isn’t merely that she’s a mother, it’s that she’s both a mother and a successful athlete. Many women, particularly athletes, believe they need to choose between having a family and a career. Part of the reason for that is unfavorable employer work policies, which she has raised awareness about and has successfully been able to influence change. Her visibility as a mother and successful athlete, along with her advocacy + fundraising for maternal healthcare, childcare, and maternal rights, matters.
Felix's success over a long period is something to really admire. She has always conducted herself with class and humility and as some athletes have said she's been a great role model. And it's a sweet story about her and her daughter.
All that said the coverage of her career winding down starting with the Olympics and now the WCs has been overdone and very irritating at times. It's not Felix's fault. Whoever put these narratives together at NBC or wherever should have done a better job of editing the coverage. During the Olympic trials and Olympics it seems as though we were reminded every five minutes about how tough it's been being a mom. It got to the point where many were tired of another Allyson Felix profile. Like I said, I don't blame Felix, but the production team was lacking.
Do you all want the sport to get any positive mainstream attention or not? I don’t get it, you all complain at tracks lack of coverage yet get all up in your feels when one of the more marketable and successful track athletes get publicity. Whether it’s Felix in a positive way or Sha’Carri for whatever. Why is that?
The american crowd on letsrun is so weird. They hate an athlete that has 5 individual olympic medals and 7 WC medals but drool over any 17 year old that hasn't raced outside their own state with their 4:10 mile. Why potential (even though very little chance of succes) is valued so much over proven success and medals is beyond me. It seems like the best thing an american athlete can do for its public image here on letsrun is to dodge competition (see f.ex Hocker) than to win medals (Felix and Mclaughlin). There is also some other traits that seperates those two, I'll leave those up to the reader.