Allyson Felix, 40, announces athletics comeback for LA 2028 Olympics

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The 40-year-old called time on her glittering career four years ago but has revealed the pull of a home crowd in LA in two years' time has made her re-think the decision.

The seven-time gold medallist would be making her sixth appearance at a Games if she qualifies for 2028.

She told TIME magazine: "You know at this age, I should probably be staying home and taking care of my kids, doing all that.

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"And why not? ‌Let’s flip it on its head. Let’s go after the thing. Let's be vulnerable."

At Tokyo 2020, which was held a year late due to Covid, Felix scooped gold in the 4x400m relay and bronze in the 400m.

She also won two golds in the relays at Rio 2016, and three at London 2012 in the 200m, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay.

Felix said her comeback has been inspired by one of her regrets of not being able to compete in front of a home crowd at an Olympics.

She said: "When I was competing, you just heard this roar for host-country athletes at the Olympics. I would love to experience that."

She added: "I would probably be upset at myself if I just didn’t give it a try.

"However it turns out, I’ll still be there with my kids, hanging out and cheering everybody on."

The mother-of-two broke with longtime sponsor Nike after a contract dispute following the birth of her first child. She also later co-founded Saysh, a women's footwear and apparel ‌company.

Felix knows her participation at the Games relies on her navigating the highly competitive US track and field qualification system.

She added that she drew inspiration from athletes who have continued competing into their 40s including Tom Brady, LeBron James and Lindsey Vonn.