Tokyo (AFP)
American Allyson Felix entered the history books a little more by securing a record 10th Olympic medal on Friday in Tokyo, bronze in the 400m, at a distance from the winner, Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo.
Delegations from all countries, journalists, officials ... everyone shouted their joy at the passage of the American on the line, third at the end of the suspense.
Yes, everyone loves Allyson Felix.
At a time when American athletics vilifies its runners and particularly its 4x100m relay pitifully eliminated in the playoffs on Thursday, Allyson Felix (35) diffuses a wind of serenity in the spans of the Olympic stadium.
The Californian has this rare charisma which elevates her above tartan and the very earthly debates of her sport, magic shoes, the fast track, suspicion of doping.
Lovers of the beautiful gesture could dissect its stride for hours (the purest?), Mad statisticians debate its place in history.
His great achievement is to have used his fame to talk about bigger topics.
After giving birth in 2018 to her daughter Camryn, very premature, she fought against the unfair financial cuts made by her former equipment supplier Nike who considered her finished and imposed herself as an emblem of sports mothers.
- She joins Lewis -
For the numbers, she becomes the only female athlete to win a 10th medal at the Olympics.
She joins the legend Carl Lewis and is only beaten by the Finnish Paavo Nurmi (12 medals).
The Californian will have the opportunity to win an 11th medal in the 4x400m relay on Saturday, if Team USA decides to field it, possibly alongside her training partner Sydney McLaughlin, new queen of the 400m hurdles since Wednesday.
Felix could not fight against Shaunae Miller-Uibo, untouchable in 48 sec 36, the 10th fastest time in history.
Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Olympic 400m champion, August 6, 2021 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Javier SORIANO AFP
The Bahamian didn't need a crazy dip on the line like five years ago in Rio to adorn herself with gold, her long hair dyed a sparkling pink, after choosing blue for the playoffs and a red and yellow mix for the 200m final on Tuesday where she missed out (8th).
At 27, this versatile athlete with a huge track record (three more world medals) had indicated that she was considering a stint in the combined events, surely inspired by her Estonian husband Maicel Uibo, 15th Thursday in the decathlon.
The women's 4x100m relay was won by Jamaica for a resounding 100-200m-4x100m treble from Elaine Thompson-Herah, the first woman to achieve such a feat since American Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988 in Seoul.
The joy of the Jamaicans Shericka Jackson, Briana Williams, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah, Olympic 4x100m champions, on August 6, 2021 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Andrej ISAKOVIC AFP
- Italian triumph in relay -
The men's 4x100m relay returned to Italy, propelled by the unexpected Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs, with a devastating finish by Filipo Tortu to overtake Great Britain and Canada.
The Italian Filippo Tortu caps the Briton Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake on the wire and wins the 4x100m relay with his 3 teammates, August 6, 2021 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Andrej ISAKOVIC AFP
Also in search of records, the Dutch Sifan Hassan failed in her crazy attempt to treble on the background and middle distance: after the title over 5,000 m, she ran out of juice in the home straight of the 1,500 m, letting go Kenyan defending champion Faith Kipyegon and Briton Laura Muir.
The joy of Kenyan Faith Kipyegon, Olympic champion in the 1500m in front of Briton Laura Muir and Dutch Sifan Hassan, August 6, 2021 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Javier SORIANO AFP
She will set foot on the track at the Olympic stadium again on Saturday for the last evening of athletics and the 10,000 m, distance of which she is the reigning world champion.
The treble, on the other hand, is in the pocket of Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah who with her teammates won the 4x100m relay after the 100 and 200m titles, the Blue finishing 7th.
Ugandan world record holder Joshua Cheptegei won his first Olympic gold over 5,000m.
Frenchman Jimmy Gressier took 13th place.
© 2021 AFP