An international star is born

By Steve Underwood
ESPN RISE

Consider the campaign of the following young female sprinter:

• She runs a 200-meter personal best of 22.11 at altitude. She also breaks 23.00 several other times, including a sea-level 22.51.

• In indoor events, she wins at the USA Track & Field finals and makes the semifinals at the world championships.

• Outdoors, this same sprinter is third in the USATF 200 to earn a berth to the world championships.

• She ends the season ranked third in the U.S. and eighth in the world by Track and Field News, and also runs 11.29 for 100 and 52.26 for 400.

Sounds like a great season on the circuit for, say, a young female sprinter in her first or second year out of college, right?

Nope ... that was the 2003 season for Allyson Felix. Her senior year of high school.