[dragonsky]

2024 Summer Olympics | Games of the XXXIII Olympiad - Candidate Cities
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...874381&page=40

It would not be overstating it to call Allyson Felix the poster girl for the U.S. Olympic Track Trials.

After all, her likeness appears on a oversized billboard stretching across much of the back of Hayward Field’s iconic East grandstand, Felix, who competed locally at Los Angeles Baptist High School, looming, as she has over American track and field for much of the past dozen years, several times larger than life.

The 2016 Trials were supposed to be a dress rehearsal for Felix’s attempt at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro at a feat accomplished by a man or woman only three times in Olympic history — sweeping the 200 and 400-meter sprints.

Two months ago, Allyson Felix couldn’t walk, hobbled when she descended from a pull-up and landed on a medicine ball instead of on the gym floor. Her right ankle collapsed. So, it seemed, did her dreams of a 200-400 Olympic double.

“My first thoughts were, ‘I can’t believe this is happening,’” she said. “It seemed like everything was over.”

On Sunday, the Los Angeles native and USC alumna blazed off the final curve and won the women’s 400 meters at the U.S. Olympic trials in 49.68 seconds, the fastest time in the world this year.

She has had smoother runs in winning four Olympic gold medals, including the 200 at London in 2012. She has had races that were more comfortable than she did Sunday, when adrenaline masked her pain.

http://www.sgvtribune.com/events/201...-one-more-time
http://www.latimes.com/sports/sports...nap-story.html