Allyson Felix, the great Target LA 2028
Eleven-time Olympic medalist Allyson Felix, 40, has announced her comeback from retirement to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The seven-time gold medalist aims to compete in her hometown games, which would make her one of the oldest U.S. track athletes, aiming for her sixth Olympic appearance.
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Motivation for Allyson Felix
Key Details of Felix’s 2028 Target:
- Motivation: Felix cited the “once-in-a-lifetime homecoming” opportunity to compete in her hometown of Los Angeles as the main driver for her return.
- Age Factor: She will be 42 years old at the time of the 2028 LA Games.
- Historic Feat: If she makes the team, she would be the first American sprinter to compete at the Games in their 40s.
- Comeback Decision: After retiring following the 2022 season, her desire to compete was reignited while attending the 2024 Paris Games.
The key reason for Allyson Felix’s comeback is her desire for a “once-in-a-lifetime homecoming” to compete in her hometown of Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympics. The 40-year-old sprint legend also views the attempt as a bold experiment in human potential and a way to challenge societal expectations about women in their 40s.
Despite winning 11 Olympic medals across five Games, Felix has never had the opportunity to run in front of a home crowd. The roar of a host-country crowd is a feeling she longed to experience.
She ultimately decided to come out of her 2022 retirement because she realized she would be “upset at herself” if she didn’t at least give it a try.
Inspired by athletes like Tom Brady and LeBron James, who competed into their 40s, Felix wants to flip the script on what women in their 40s are conventionally told to do (e.g., staying at home rather than tackling big, bold goals). Watching from the sidelines—like at the 2024 Paris Games—gave her mixed emotions, reminding her how much she missed the feeling of certified competition. Felix plans to start full-time training with coach Bobby Kersee to eventually enter competition in 2027 and secure a spot for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Major Achievement of Allyson Felix
Allyson Felix is the most decorated track and field athlete in history, boasting 11 Olympic medals (seven gold) and a record 20 World Championship medals. Specializing in 200m and 400m, she competed across five Olympics (2004–2020), becoming the most decorated U.S. track athlete, a vocal advocate for maternal protections for athletes, and a founder of her own footwear brand.
Allyson Felix established a glorious history of track and field, amassing a combined 31 medals across the Olympic Games and World Championships. Over an elite career spanning five consecutive Olympics from 2004 to 2020, she earned 11 Olympic medals, including seven golds, making her the most decorated American track and field athlete and the most successful female Olympian in the sport’s history.
Her dominance was equally profound at the World Athletics Championships, where she holds a record 20 medals, 14 of which are gold. Felix’s versatility allowed her to excel in the 100m, 200m, and 400m sprints, as well as multiple relay events, notably contributing to a world-record-setting 4x100m relay performance at the London 2012 Games. In late April 2026, the 40-year-old sports legend announced she is coming out of retirement for “Project Six,” aiming to compete in her sixth Olympic Games at LA28 in her hometown of Los Angeles.
How many medals can Allyson Felix win at LA28?
Allyson Felix can mathematically win a maximum of three medals at LA28, targeting spots in the U.S. relay pool. However, her primary motivation isn’t a specific medal count, but rather the courage to challenge her limits at 42 years old and the unique experience of competing in her hometown. If she gains real form, that may be crucial to win a minor medal in the individual event, also. To win a gold medal seems unlikely.
The Medal Math
Felix has outlined an ambitious training and qualification plan, internally known as “Project Six” (aiming for her sixth Olympic Games):
Potential Events: Her most realistic path to the podium lies in relay events, specifically the women’s 4x400m, mixed 4x400m, or 4x100m.
The Cut-off: To win any medals, she first has to survive the famously grueling U.S. Olympic Trials and secure a spot on the Team USA roster.
The Ceiling: Even in a perfect scenario where she qualifies and Team USA dominates, the maximum number of medals any track athlete can win is three.
Felix is realistic about her peak years and the steep hill she has to climb. She has publicly stated that her success at LA28 isn’t solely defined by a medal outcome, but by the courage it takes to toe the line in front of her fellow Angelenos.
Why retired after the Tokyo Olympics?
Allyson Felix retired from the Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021) to conclude her elite career on her own terms, having given everything to the sport, and to focus on her family and business after overcoming a life-threatening pregnancy and a dispute with her sponsor. As the most decorated U.S. track athlete, she aimed to leave with 11 medals.
Felix felt she had “given everything” to running and felt she had nothing left to give at that level. Following a difficult pregnancy (preeclampsia) and a contract dispute with Nike over motherhood, she was focusing on her own footwear brand, Saysh, and advocacy work for female athletes.
USA team’s chance at LA 2028
The U.S. Track and Field team enters the quadrennium leading up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as a dominant force, looking to capitalize on their historic 34-medal haul from Paris. The team’s prospects are anchored by established icons like Noah Lyles, Gabby Thomas, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who are all expected to be in their competitive prime for a home-soil showcase.
A major storyline for the LA Games is the return of Allyson Felix, who recently announced a comeback attempt to compete in her hometown, adding veteran leadership to a squad already teeming with young stars. The “next generation” is led by 400m phenom Quincy Wilson, who will be 20 years old in 2028, and hurdles standout Masai Russell, both of whom represent a deep pipeline of talent that suggests the U.S. will remain the team to beat. Allyson Felix is also the star to watch
Beyond individual talent, USATF is implementing strategic shifts to ensure they don’t leave medals on the table, specifically targeting their historically inconsistent relay program with mandatory practice camps. The 2028 Games will also feature a unique schedule change, with track and field moving to the first week of competition.
This shift includes a grueling “triple” for the women’s 100m—where three rounds will be run in a single day—a format that favors the depth and conditioning of the American sprint roster. With the advantage of a home crowd and a mix of legendary veterans and surging teenagers, Team USA is widely projected to top the athletics medal table once again in Los Angeles. Allyson Felix may be a key boost for them.
Total sports in LA 2028
The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will feature a record 36 sports and 351 medal events. This program includes 31 “core” sports and five “additional” sports proposed by the LA28 Organizing Committee to highlight local interest and global growth.
Additional and Returning Sports
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved five additional sports specifically for the LA28 program:
Flag Football: Making its official Olympic debut as a non-contact variant of American football.
Squash: Also making its Olympic debut after a long-standing quest for inclusion.
Cricket: Returning for the first time since 1900, to be played in the T20 format.
Lacrosse: Returning for the first time as a medal event since 1908, utilizing the fast-paced “Sixes” format.
Baseball & Softball: Returning to the program after being excluded from the 2024 Paris Games.
The 36 Sports for LA28
The full roster of sports scheduled for competition includes
Aquatics: Artistic Swimming, Diving, Marathon Swimming, Swimming, Water Polo
Archery
Athletics (Track and Field)
Badminton
Baseball & Softball
Basketball: 5×5 and 3×3
Boxing
Canoeing: Slalom and Sprint
Cricket
Cycling: Road, Track, BMX (Freestyle & Racing), Mountain Biking
Equestrian: Dressage, Eventing, Jumping
Fencing
Field Hockey
Flag Football
Football (Soccer)
Golf
Gymnastics: Artistic, Rhythmic, Trampoline
Handball
Judo
Lacrosse
Modern Pentathlon
Rowing: Including the debut of Coastal Beach Sprints
Rugby Sevens
Sailing
Shooting
Skateboarding
Sport Climbing
Squash
Surfing
Table Tennis
Taekwondo
Tennis
Triathlon
Volleyball: Beach and Indoor
Weightlifting
Wrestling: Freestyle and Greco-Roman
historic return of Allyson Felix
The inclusion of track and field as a cornerstone of the LA 2028 Olympics is being significantly elevated by the historic return of Allyson Felix, who announced her comeback specifically to compete in her hometown. As the most decorated U.S. track athlete in history, Felix’s “Project Six” campaign—aiming for her sixth Olympic Games at age 42—provides a powerful narrative of longevity and maternal advocacy that is expected to drive record-breaking domestic viewership and ticket sales.
This “Felix Factor” is further amplified by a major scheduling shift where track and field will, for the first time, lead off the Olympic program in place of swimming. By hosting the events at the iconic LA Memorial Coliseum, the sport will blend its storied history with modern star power, positioning track and field as the premier attraction of the Games.