USC names track and field facility after Allyson Felix, 11-time Olympic medal winner

LOS ANGELES — Allyson Felix, the most decorated American track athlete in Olympic history, officially became the namesake of her alma mater’s track and field facility Monday with USC naming the complex Allyson Felix Field.

The field, which sits at the center of Katherine B. Loker Track Stadium, serves as a hub for the men’s and women’s track and field teams and also groups such as the ROTC, the Trojan Marching Band and other recreational sports.

“I hope that students, athletes come to this field and they come at the beginning of their journey and they experience something like I did – getting a foundation, being prepared to face the world,” the 11-time Olympic medalist said at the ceremony. “We don’t know what those challenges are going to be, but we know that they’re inevitable. And I think this is such a special place to get you ready to take on those fights.

“And so that is my hope for all who will come onto this field. I know there will be greatness and excellence daily here, and I just feel so proud to just be a tiny, tiny part of that. … I am truly, truly humbled.”

Felix, who competed in 100-, 200- and 400-meter races in five Olympics between 2004 and 2020, won seven gold medals, three silvers and a bronze – winning at least one medal in each of the five Olympiads.

She capped her Olympic career at the 2020 Tokyo Games – held in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic – at age 34 by winning a bronze medal in the 400 and a gold in the 4×400 team competition.

Her 11th and final Olympic medal, in the 4×400, broke her tie with Carl Lewis and made her the most decorated American track and field athlete.

Felix is also the most decorated athlete in the World Championships, with 20 medals between 2005 and 2022, including 14 golds, three silvers and three bronzes. The medals include seven from individual events and 13 from team relays.

She has also been a prominent advocate for women and athletes of color. She broke with her former sponsor, Nike, after she said the company declined to provide adequate maternity benefits and salary guarantees as Felix looked to start a family in 2018.

Felix received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from USC last year, when she delivered the commencement speech.

Source: Orange County Register