Two-time Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad has officially retired from professional track and field, concluding one of the most legendary careers in the history of the women’s 400-metre hurdles.
Muhammad ran her final race in Budapest, at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships, finishing fourth in 53.11 seconds, fulfilling her desire to be part of the competition that saw her postpone an earlier planned 2025 retirement.”I am just so grateful. There have been so many emotions happening today. During the race I just wanted to do my best, and I absolutely have no regrets. It never really hits you until you finish your career and see what you have accomplished,” the 36-year-old said after the race, won by Jasmine Jones in a season best of 52.45 seconds.
Muhammad is one of the most decorated track and field athletes in history, widely celebrated for revolutionizing the women’s discipline.Her breakthrough came in 2013, following a stellar collegiate career as a four-time All-American at the University of Southern California (USC). That year, she won her first national title and secured a silver medal at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Muhammad became the first American woman to win Olympic gold in the 400m hurdles, clocking a dominant 53.13 seconds in heavy rain.In one of the greatest track races ever run, Muhammad clocked a blistering personal best of 51.58 seconds at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Though she beat her own previous world record, she earned the silver medal just behind teammate Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. She also anchored Team USA to gold in the 4x400m relay.
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She also leaves a solid performance on the World front, with 2019 being her peak year for her as she shattered Yuliya Pechonkina’s 16-year-old world record at the USATF Outdoor Championships, running 52.20 seconds. Months later at the Doha World Championships, she broke her own world record to win gold in a blistering 52.16 seconds, going on to be named the World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year.
Despite battling injuries later in her career, she set a World Masters record (35+ age group) of 52.91 seconds in 2025 and pushed through to the 2026 season to experience the inaugural Ultimate Championships.”Having set the world record, that was amazing. I had a really blessed career, and I’m really grateful for it. The fans here are amazing and they kept me going. I didn’t just want to get through; I wanted to put my mark down and show how much fight I still have in me. I am focusing on closing this chapter now. I will miss all the moments from the track.”