Alysia Montaño is an Americanmiddle distance runner. She is a six-time USA Outdoor champion 2007, 2010, 2011 ; 2012 ; 2013 ; 2015., and arguably gained more publicity for the 2014 race that she competed in while 8 months pregnant. She also ran the same race in 2017's Championships, again while pregnant—this time, at 5 months. She has represented the United States at numerous international championships including the 2012 Olympics. She distinguishes herself by wearing a flower in her hair while running, a personal affectation she adopted to assert her femininity. On the international level she has exhibited a bold, front running style, challenging other runners to keep up with her. At the 2012 Olympics, Montaño finished in fifth place. In November 2015, the World Anti-Doping Agency recommended two Russian women who finished in first and third be given lifetime bans for their doping violations at the Olympics. When the International Olympic Committee issued disqualifications, Mariya Savinova was given a lifetime ban. As a result, Montaño was given two bronze medals for the 2011 and 2013 World Championships.
Personal
Alysia Johnson moved to California from New York at 3 years old. She played Soccer through high school and plays for fun as cross training as a professional.
Career
As Alysia Jo |Canyon High School in Santa Clarita, California, culminating in winning the 800 meters at the CIF California State Meet in 2004. That year she was ranked #10 in the nation and finished fourth at the Golden West Invitational, a meet that proclaims itself to be a National championship of High School Track and Field. At the University of California, Berkeley, she continued to improve. By 2006, she finished 3rd at the NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships, setting personal bests three times during the competition. 2007 put her on the national stage, winning the NCAA Indoor Championship, the Outdoor Championship and breaking the 2 minute barrier. At the 2007 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Montaño won her first national title in the 800 m with a time of 1:59.47. At the 2007 World Athletics Championships, Montaño was eliminated in the heats of the 800 m by finishing 4th with a time of 2:02.11. At the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Montaño won her first international medal, a bronze, in the 800 m, finishing with a personal best time of 1:59.60. At the 2011 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Montaño won the 800 m title in a time of 1:58.33 to defend her 2010 crown. She placed fourth at that year's World Championships in Daegu with her second fastest time of 1:57.48 minutes. As a result of the disqualification of several Russian competitors, she advanced to the bronze medal. She came close to a personal best at the 2012 Prefontaine Classic, winning the 800 m in 1:57.37 minutes. At the 2012 Olympics, the front running Montaño held the lead until the kickers ran past her in the closing stages of the race, ultimately holding on to fifth place. With the potential disqualification of two Russian athletes, that could turn into an Olympic bronze medal. With the disqualification of Mariya Savinova that has been elevated to fourth, however Ekaterina Poistogova was not disqualified backdated to the 2012 Olympics despite receiving a lifetime ban for doping. That decision allowed Poistogova to advance to the silver medal and prevented Montaño from advancing further. She won the 2013 Milrose Games 600 meters and set an American Indoor Record of 1:23.59 on 16 February. Won 2013 Penn Relays 4 x 800 meters and set American Outdoor Record in 8:04.31 on April 27. Lea Wallace, Brenda Martinez, Ajee' Wilson, Alysia Montano. Again at the 2013 World Championships, Montaño finished fourth after leading and being passed in the closing stage of the race. For the third major championship in a row, a Russian athlete, Mariya Savinova finished ahead of her. With Savinova's lifetime ban for doping, this could turn into another bronze medal for Montaño if medals are reallocated. Alysia Montaño earned a silver medal at Athletics at the 2015 Pan American Games – Women's 800 metres in 1:59.76 the day after running a 50 point 400 meters relay leg in Athletics at the 2015 Pan American Games – Women's 4 × 400 metres relay. Alysia Montaño did not qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics after falling in the USA Olympic trial finals.
Alysia garnered attention in June 2014 by competing in the USATF's USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships while eight months pregnant. She finished last in a field of 29 in the 800 meters preliminaries in 2:32.13. She gave birth to Linnea Dori Montaño on August 15, 2014. A year later in June 2015, Alysia returned and won the 800 meters final of the US Trials and qualified for the World Athletics Championships 2015 in Beijing.
