In her first 400-meter race in over a year, Allyson Felix just wanted to see how she compared to the competition.
Felix was up against American record holder Sanya Richards-Ross and the 2014 Diamond League champion, Novlene Williams-Mills, and she measured up. Felix won this event in the Prefontaine Classic for the first time since 2010 in 50.05 seconds.
Felix, whose specialty is the 200-meters, has recently started focusing more on the 400. Runner-up Richards-Ross, who has made her career as a sprinter in the 400-meters, finished in 50.29. Third place was Stephenie Ann McPherson in 50.4, her season’s best.
Going into the race, Richards-Ross was the favorite who has more sub-50 second finishes than any other woman in history. She was hoping that today would be her 50th.
“I felt like I was ready to go fast. I felt like conditions were perfect,” she said. “I just felt like I didn’t have it coming down the last stretch, so I was disappointed about that.”
Felix, on the other hand, said she was pleasantly surprised. She started fast from lane four and as the field came across the Bowerman Curve, Richards-Ross and Felix appeared even. Felix charged ahead to cross the tape a step ahead of Richards-Ross.
The two runners will have another opportunity to face off in less than a month back in Eugene at the U.S. Nationals. Felix has a bye in the 200 at World Championships and plans to focus on the 400 meters at Nationals, while Richards-Ross will continue to chase her 50th sub-50.
