Olympic Gold Medal Sprinter Shaunae Miller Gives God 'All Thanks, Praise' for Win

By Julie Brown Patton
Shaunae Miller
Bahamas' Olympic gold medal sprinter Shaunae Miller dove head-first across the finish line Aug. 16, 2016, but said her mind blanked during the incident. She praised God for the split-second win over U.S. sprinting star Allyson Felix. informationng

Shaunae Miller, an Olympic sprinter from the Bahamas, won gold in the women's 400-meter race Tuesday night, and she gave God the glory for the victory. "I could not have done it without Him. I am so happy and so grateful," she said.

Miller won by 0.07 seconds against U.S. racing champion Allyson Felix, according to Christian Today. The race was so close, Miller dove "head-first, Superwoman-style," across the finish line in a dramatic effort to win.  It was Millers' personal best time of 49.44 seconds.

The 22-year-old runner is now enrolled at the University of Georgia, and is a professional athlete for Adidas.

In a post-race interview, Miller gave God gratefulness. "He has bought [sic] me so far. It is such an emotional moment for me, but I just give God the thanks and praise."

When asked about the dive to the finish line, Miller told the Associated Press the only thing she was thinking about was the gold medal. "'I don't know what happened. My mind just went blank. The next thing I know I was on the ground. It was just a reaction."

As Miller lay on her back, gasping for breath after the race, Felix sat on the ground stone-faced. Ten seconds passed. Then 20. Miller said she then heard a familiar voice cut through the crowd. "I heard my mom screaming. I was like, 'OK, I had to have won the race,''' she said.

Miller, who carried her country's flag at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, said that after she won the 400-meter she "just remembered all the hard workouts I have been doing. But like I said, I just give God all the thanks and praise."

At the 2011 World Youth Championships in Athletics, Miller became the first Bahamian to win the 400 meter race.

She competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics but did not finish her heat.

Felix also included a religious reference on her Facebook page regarding the race and her silver medal placement:  "Last night didn't end the way I had dreamed. I'm disappointed. I was quickly reminded of countless reasons to be proud, thankful and grateful. Bobby told me this is the most proud he has ever been of me. That resonated with me. Everything went wrong this year, but some way I made it here and won a silver medal. I fought as hard as I could and gave my all. I'm most proud of never giving up on my dreams in the face of adversity. I'm extremely humbled to now be the most decorated female Olympian in USATF history. All glory to God!"

Before the race, Felix had posted, "No matter the outcome I praise God for it all."

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