EUGENE, Ore. — Allyson Felix was content to be retired. Days after winning her record 19th medal at a track and field world championship, she was back in Los Angeles indulging in what she called a cheat meal: hot wings and a root beer float at Hot Wings Café.
She had reason to celebrate. For two decades she had been one of the sport's consummate performers. Her 11 Olympic medals make her the most-decorated U.S. track athlete in history. With her bronze as part of a mixed 4x400-meter relay team on July 15 came a record she'd achieved by medaling in eight world championships over the span of 17 years — another record.
It was a fitting place to say goodbye for an athlete who always wanted to run in a global championship in the United States, and afterward, she had spoken of being a fighter, verbally putting a bow on her career.
