Allyson Felix – The Rio Possibles

Allyson Felix will compete at her 4th Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Felix was attempting to win the 200-400 metre double, which has only been done previously by Valerie Brisco-Hooks (USA-1984), Michael Johnson (USA-1996), and Marie-José Pérec (FRA-1996), but she did not qualify in the 200, obviating that chance. Felix will likely also run relays for the United States, certainly in the 4×4 and possibly in the 4×100, most likely in a heat, giving her 3 possible chances at medals and gold medals. Here are the possible things she can achieve:

If She Wins One Medal in Rio, Allyson Felix Will …

  • Win her 7th Olympic medal, moving her ahead of Jackie Joyner-Kersee among @TeamUSA women. With 6 medals, Felix and Joyner-Kersee currently have the most medals of any American women in track & field athletics.
  • Move into a tie for 2nd among all women, with 7 Olympic medals in track & field athletics. The current record is 9 by Merlene Ottey (JAM), with 3 women having won 7 medals – Irena Szewinska-Kirszenstein (POL), Shirley Strickland-de la Hunty (AUS), and Veronica Campbell-Brown (VCB) (JAM). Of note, VCB will compete at Rio in the 200 metres and likely the 4×100 relay, and could extend her own mark.
  • Move into a tie for 5th among all US women in any sport, with 7 Olympic medals. Three US swimmers have won 12 Olympic medals – Dara Torres, Jenny Thompson, and Natalie Coughlin; while Shirley Babashoff stands 4th among US women with 8 Olympic swimming medals.

If She Wins Two Medals in Rio, Allyson Felix Will …

  • Move into 2nd among all women in track & field athletics, with 8 medals, trailing only Merlene Ottey (JAM), who has 9. However, please see the note above about Veronica Campbell-Brown.
  • Move into a tie for 4th among US women in any sport, with 8 Olympic medals. Three US swimmers have won 12 Olympic medals – Dara Torres, Jenny Thompson, and Natalie Coughlin. Felix will tie Shirley Babashoff, who currently stands 4th among US women with 8 Olympic swimming medals.

If She Wins Three Medals in Rio, Allyson Felix Will …

  • Move into a tie for 1st among all women in track & field athletics, with 9 medals, equalling Merlene Ottey (JAM).
  • Move into a tie for 3rd among all track & field athletes, with 9 medals, trailing only Paavo Nurmi (FIN) with 12, and Carl Lewis (USA) with 10. Counting the 1906 Olympics, Felix would also trail Ray Ewry (USA) with 10 (8, not including 1906) and equal Martin Sheridan (USA) with 9 (4, not including 1906).
  • Move into 4th among all US women in any sport, with 9 Olympic medals. Three US swimmers have won 12 Olympic medals – Dara Torres, Jenny Thompson, and Natalie Coughlin. Felix would surpass Shirley Babashoff, who currently stands 4th among US women with 8 Olympic swimming medals. With 9 medals, Felix would move into a tie for 36th among all Olympians, including all sports.

If She Wins One Gold Medal in Rio, Allyson Felix Will …

  • Win her 5th Olympic gold medal in athletics, which would be the most ever by a woman. With 4 Olympic golds in athletics, Felix currently is tied with Evelyn Ashford (USA), Sanya Richards-Ross (USA), Fanny Blankers-Koen (NED), Betty Cuthbert (AUS), and Bärbel Eckert-Wöckel (GDR).
  • Move into a tie for 5th among all Olympic track & field athletes, with 5 gold medals. Felix would trail Paavo Nurmi (FIN) and Carl Lewis (USA), with 9; Ray Ewry (USA), with 8 (10, including 1906); and Usain Bolt (JAM), with 6, although he may extend that mark in Rio. Felix would tie Ville Ritola (FIN) and Martin Sheridan (USA), who won 5 gold medals, although Sheridan won only 3, if one excludes 1906.
  • Move into a tie for 3rd among US female Olympians, in any sport, with 5 gold medals. The @TeamUSA record is held by Jenny Thompson (SWI), with 8, while Amy Van Dyken (SWI) has won 6, and Bonnie Blair (SSK) has won 5, with Blair winning hers at the Winter Olympics.

If She Wins a Gold Medal in the 4×400 in Rio, Allyson Felix Will …

  • Equal the mark of Evelyn Ashford (USA) and Sanya Richards-Ross (USA), as the only women to win three Olympic gold medals in the same event in track & field athletics, with Ashford doing so in the 4×100 relay and Richards-Ross in the 4×400. Note that Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) would also equal this mark if she wins the 100 metres in Rio.

If She Wins Two Gold Medals in Rio, Allyson Felix Will …

  • Move into a tie for 5th among all women, in any sport, with 6 gold medals. The Olympic best is held by Larysa Latynina (URS-GYM) with 9, followed by Birgit Fischer-Schmidt (GDR/GER-CAN) and Jenny Thompson (USA-SWI) with 8, and Věra Čáslavská (TCH) with 7.
  • Move into a tie for 5th among all Olympic track & field athletes, with 6 gold medals. Felix would trail Paavo Nurmi (FIN) and Carl Lewis (USA), with 9; Ray Ewry (USA), with 8 (10, including 1906); and equal Usain Bolt (JAM), with 6, although he may extend that mark in Rio.
  • Move into a tie for 2nd among US female Olympians, in any sport, with 6 gold medals. The @TeamUSA record is held by Jenny Thompson (SWI), with 8, while Felix would tie Amy Van Dyken (SWI), who has won 6.
  • Move into a tie for 5th among all female Olympians, in any sport, with 6 gold medals. Felix would still trail Larysa Latynina (URS-GYM) with 9, Birgit Fischer-Schmidt (GDR/GER-CAN) and Jenny Thompson (USA-SWI) with 8 each, and Věra Čáslavská (TCH-GYM) with 7. Six women have won 6 Olympic gold medals, three in the Winter Games and three in the Summer Games: Marit Bjørgen (NOR-CCS), Lyubov Yegorova (EUN/RUS-CCS), Lidiya Skoblikova (URS-SSK), Valentina Vezzali (ITA-FEN), Kristin Otto (GDR-SWI), and Amy Van Dyken (USA-SWI).

If She Wins Three Gold Medals in Rio, Allyson Felix Will …

  • Move into a tie for 4th among all women, in any sport, with 7 gold medals. The Olympic best is held by Larysa Latynina (URS-GYM) with 9, followed by Birgit Fischer-Schmidt (GDR/GER-CAN) and Jenny Thompson (USA-SWI) with 8, while Felix would tie Věra Čáslavská (TCH) who has 7.
  • Move into a tie for 4th among all Olympic track & field athletes, with 7 gold medals. Felix would trail Paavo Nurmi (FIN) and Carl Lewis (USA), with 9; and Ray Ewry (USA), with 8 (10, including 1906). Usain Bolt (JAM) has 6 gold medals entering Rio and may well improve upon that mark.
  • Move into 2nd among US female Olympians, in any sport, with 7 gold medals. The @TeamUSA record is held by Jenny Thompson, who won 8 gold medals in swimming.
  • Move into a tie for 4th among all female Olympians, in any sport, with 7 gold medals. Felix would still trail Larysa Latynina (URS-GYM) with 9, Birgit Fischer-Schmidt (GDR/GER-CAN) and Jenny Thompson (USA-SWI) with 8 each, and equal Věra Čáslavská (TCH-GYM) with 7.
  • Move into a tie for 13th among all Olympians, all sports, with 7 gold medals.