Allyson Felix has yet to cross that triumphant finish line. The 40-year-old, the most decorated track and field athlete in history, announced that four years after her retirement, she is gearing up for a comeback at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. And a pivotal reason behind this move is that Allyson longs for the glory of running in her hometown. As she told Time in an interview published on April 27, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime homecoming, and it's the only thing powerful enough to lure me back."
The Olympic gold medalist began plotting her return to the track last year, with her brother and business partner, Wes Felix, admitting to the outlet that when she broke the news, "I felt there was a zero percent chance that's what she was going to say." But now, Allyson is sprinting towards her next goal, fueled by the inspiration of other top athletes who continued their careers in their 40s, including Tom Brady, LeBron James, and Lindsey Vonn, who recently hinted at a comeback despite a devastating crash during the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics in February.
"So many of us have been told not to pursue the bold and daring," Allyson explained. "At this age, I should probably be staying home, taking care of my kids. But why not? Let's turn it on its head. Let's go after it. Let's be vulnerable."
It won't be an easy feat for Allyson, who is a mom to Camryn, 7, and Trey, 2, with her husband Kenneth Ferguson. Still, she believes, "I would probably be disappointed in myself if I didn't give it a try." Allyson understands that she may encounter resistance, acknowledging, "I totally get the person who sticks around too long and you're like, 'What are they doing?'" She added, "I know at 40, I'm not at my peak. I have no illusions about that. I'm very clear about what it is and what I want to see. And so I hope it's seen that way."
The sprinter last ran in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where she won her historic 10th Olympic medal after snagging the bronze during the 400m race. During the 2024 Paris games, two years after her retirement, she confessed to feeling antsy watching from the sidelines.
"It was definitely a mixed bag of emotions," she told Time. "There were moments where I thought, 'Oh, this is so great. It's so exciting to be in the stands and on the other side.' And then there were moments where I thought, 'You know, I miss this feeling.'"
