"Competing on one of the world’s largest stages felt daunting at times"- Alexis Holmes reflects on her gold-winning Paris Olympics campaign

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Aug 17, 2024 06:26 GMT

Alexis Holmes ended the Paris Olympics 2024 on an impressive note and recently weighed in on her experience. The American sprinter, who specializes in 400m, may not have won an individual medal but won gold as a part of the USA's women's 4x400m relay squad, including Gabby Thomas, Shamier Little, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

Reflecting on her campaign at Stade de France in Paris, Holmes took to X [formerly Twitter] to write:

"I just want to take second to give myself some flowers. As someone who has bad social anxiety, being around so many new people in the village, being posted all over social media, and competing on one of the world's largest stages felt daunting at times."

That was not all. Alexis Holmes further mentioned how she felt after the Paris Olympics, adding:

"It takes a lot of strength to be subjected to criticism, comparison, and judgment about your appearance, personality, and performances, etc. and still stand firm in who you know you are. I'm proud of me."

The 24-year-old sprinter from Hamden, Connecticut, participated in women's 400m as well as the women's 4x400m relay event at the Paris Olympics 2024. She finished sixth in the 400m race but took home gold in the relay event.

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Alexis Holmes' performance at the Paris Olympics

Alexis Holmes reacts after qualifying for the finals of the womens 400m at the Paris Olympics 2024 [Image Sources: Getty]

Before the Paris Olympics, Alexis Holmes was not well known in the 400m circuit. She had a personal best of 49.78 seconds, which she recorded at the US Olympic Trials held in Eugene, Oregon.

In the presence of American stalwarts like Kendall Ellis and Aaliyah Butler, Alexis Holmes was not the favorite to win. Yet, she surprised everyone by clocking 50 seconds to enter the finals of the women's 400m, the only American woman to do so. The momentum couldn't continue in the finals and Holmes had to settle for the sixth position despite giving a personal best of 49.77 seconds.

However, she went on to prove her might in the women's 4x400m relay event finals, where she ran the anchor leg. Had she run a little faster, Holmes would have broken the long-standing world record set in this event by the USSR at the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

The quartet from the USA clocked three minutes and 15.27 seconds to win the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. On the other hand, the USSR had clocked three minutes and 15.17 seconds to set a new world as well as an Olympic record that has lasted for almost four decades.