Hope Mills native Quanera Hayes places 7th at 400-meter final in Tokyo

By Nia Harden, WRAL reporter

Hope Mills native Quanera Hayes chased her Olympic dream on Friday morning.

The 29-year-old and first-time Olympian was on the track in the 400-meter final race at the Tokyo Games. Unfortunately, Hayes couldn't overcome a slow start, finishing seventh out of eight runners in 50.88 seconds.

Allyson Felix, also representing the U.S., placed third to earn the bronze. She finished two spots behind gold medalist Shaunae Miller-Uibo, of Jamaica.

Miller-Uibo defended her 400-meter title in a time of 48.36 seconds.

Felix now has more Olympic track and field medals than any woman in history. She came into the Tokyo Games even with Jamaican runner Merlene Ottey.

Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic finished second a full .84 seconds behind Miller-Uibo. It was a far less dramatic finish than in 2016 when Miller-Uibo dived at the finish line to edge out Felix for the gold.

Hayes has another chance to medal

Hayes is also one of the five runners on the women's 4-by-400 relay team scheduled for Saturday. Only four athletes will run in that race, so Hayes will have to wait to see if she's picked.

Hayes' mother is taking it all in from home with Quanera's two-year-old son, Demetrius Jr. They know even though she didn't win a medal, there's plenty to celebrate.

"Just being away from her while she's there is kind of sad, but it's also a great moment," said Lesley Capers.

In June, Hayes won the Olympic trial race in 49.78 seconds, making her a national champion. Hayes, ranked 22nd in the world, graduated from Grays Creek High School.