When Allyson Felix stepped away from track and field in 2022, she ended her career as the most decorated Olympian in women’s track and field history. Her 11 medals are tops among competitors, and her seven Olympic golds range from the U.S.’s dominance in relay races to her triumph in the 200 meters at the 2012 London Olympics.
With the Olympics approaching her hometown in 2028, the Olympian and mother-of-two made a major announcement on Monday (Apr. 27): Retirement is over.
Felix made her decision public in TIME, telling the magazine, “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.”
The idea of her returning became serious when she crafted a pitch deck for her brother, connecting everything to her hometown of Los Angeles. Felix had never run in front of her hometown fans on the biggest stage in sports. If she were to achieve what many have viewed as impossible, she’d be the oldest American sprinter ever at the 2028 Games, when she’ll be 42 years old.
The allure of home is one thing for Felix. Defeating Father Time in the name of women athletes is another.
To date, the oldest sprinter ever at the Olympic Games was Merlene Ottey, who ran the 100-meter dash at the 2004 Athens Olympics at age 44. Four years prior, Ottey became the oldest female sprinter to medal at the Olympics, winning bronze in the 4×100 relay and the 100m.
Although it is rare to see athletes achieve what was once thought impossible in their 40s, there have been exceptions. LeBron James is still making waves at age 41 for the Los Angeles Lakers. Tom Brady, who retired with more Super Bowl titles than any other player, won his last ring at age 43 and his last league MVP at age 40. Serena Williams, who last competed at the 2022 US Open, became the oldest woman in the Open Era to defeat a top-three-ranked player in the world when she beat then No. 2 Anett Kontaveit.
For Felix, the moment says nothing stops when you still have a desire to achieve something. In a personal message on Instagram in March, she shared what turning 40 taught her, including that if a goal feels “scary and exciting,” then the path is the right one to take.
LA28 to her is personal, even if Father Time may not feel the same way about older sprinters and the U.S. women’s track-and-field team is stacked with big names like Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson. A spot on the relay team might be her most likely outcome, but watching her attempt to achieve what seems unlikely in her sport is something to marvel at and celebrate.
Even if she doesn’t make the Olympic team, she’s still connected to LA28 as a member of the Organizing Committee Athletes’ Commission. She’s already broken barriers in terms of recognizing her worth, including in a pay dispute with former sponsor Nike and in launching her own women-focused sports management firm.
But the roar of the crowd at home? As an athlete? Nothing can top it. Not even Father Time.
