Los Angeles [California], April 29: Former top sprinter Allyson Felix, 40, wants to return to the big stage of athletics and compete at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, according to an interview with Time magazine published on Monday.
Felix has won a total of 11 Olympic medals: seven gold, three silver, and one bronze and is the most successful track and field athlete in the history of the Games. She retired in 2022.
"You know, at this age, I should probably be staying home and taking care of my kids, doing all that. And just, why not? Let's flip it on its head. Let's go after the thing. Let's be vulnerable," she said.
She is calling her attempt at a comeback a "live experiment in human potential."
The LA native said just because no US sprinter has ever made the Games in their 40s doesn't necessarily mean no one can.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime homecoming,"
Felix wrote in outlining her logic behind wanting to return. "I know, at 40, I am not at my peak. I have no illusions about that. I'm very clear in what it is and what I want to see. And so I hope it's seen that way."
The star runner, who won 20 World Championship medals over the course of her career, said she doesn't have any illusions but is ready to go for it.
Felix and her longtime coach Bobby Kersee are planning to begin a full training programme in October. She expects to return to competition in 2027. A year later, the Summer Games will take place in her hometown of Los Angeles - and she'll be 42.
Source: Qatar Tribune
