ST. DENIS, France—Gabby Thomas could not remember the 200 meters she raced before winning an Olympic gold medal.
“I blacked out for the race,” Thomas, a 27-year-old Massachusetts native, explained. “…It’s the strangest sensation when you get into a flow and that energy when nothing else matters but the finish line. As far as I was concerned, I was the sole participant in that race.”
The race was never close. Thomas battled Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred and Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith for the race’s first quarter but never had a challenger in the second half. She gained the lead 80m into the race and didn’t give it up as she marched quickly off the corner, confidently in the lead.
Thomas, who elected to skip her last year of NCAA eligibility at Harvard in 2018 to pursue a professional career, received her degree in neurobiology in 2019. Her brothers Desi and Andrew inspired her to pursue neuroscience. Desi has autism, and Thomas’ twin, Andrew, had neurofeedback therapy for ADHD in high school.
She was still in school in 2019, though, since she saw education as a way to develop herself beyond racing. She finished her Master’s in Epidemiology in 2023 at the University of Texas, where Thomas lives to train with the Austin-based—Buford – Bailey Track club.
Thomas’ gold medal win in Paris makes her the first Harvard graduate to win a gold medal in a track and field event. She also won two medals from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics: a silver in the 4x100m relay and a bronze in the 200m. Thomas’ podium finish here earns her third Olympic medal.
Thomas has a legitimate opportunity at a world record during her career.
She’s the quickest 200-meter runner since Florence Griffith-Joyner broke the world record in 21.34 seconds back in 1988. Thomas ran 21.60 seconds in the 200m in the 2021 United States Olympic Trials, the second-fastest time ever run by a woman in the event. Her time to win gold on Tuesday was 21.83.
She crossed the finish line with her eyes closed and both hands on her head, the weight of Olympic gold just starting to sink in.
“I did not expect to feel how I felt when I crossed that line,” Thomas told me. “You prepare for this moment and train hard for it, but when it finally arrives, it’s indescribable.” I could not believe it. I never dreamed in my wildest fantasies that I would win an Olympic gold medal. And I’m one. And I’m still trying to wrap my mind around that.”
Winning Olympic gold meant overcoming Alfred, the newly crowned 100m champion, hiding in lane eight. Alfred won silver on Tuesday, although he entered the race as the world’s fourth-best 200m runner, with a personal best time of 21.86 seconds. Except for two finalists, Ivory Coast’s Jessika Gbai and Great Britain’s Daryll Neita, all 200m runners had personal bests of under 22 seconds.
Brittany Brown of the United States broke the 22-second barrier and recorded a personal best of 21.90 seconds at the U.S. Olympic Trials in late June. Brown rode that wave to the Olympic 200m final in Paris, where she dashed to bronze.
“It has been a long journey to get back on the track and to get back to training,” Brown told reporters. Coming back from injury last year was very hard.” Brown recovered from a sports hernia that kept her off the track until February of this year.
“I think sometimes when athletes have injuries, it’s like a mental game that you’re playing with yourself,” Brown said. “How will I get back? This is an Olympic year, and I missed two or three months of training. Like, is it going to happen?”
For Brown, it finally happened. The bronze medalist edged off Asher-Smith for third place, racing her 200m in 22.20, barely two-hundredths of a second quicker than her 22.22.
“I’m just so grateful I can be a vessel,” Brown remarked through sobs. “I’m grateful to be present in this moment…”It’s difficult when life gets tough. It’s challenging to deal with injuries when no one looks at you…This is not about me. It is about my team. It’s about folks who look like me and are going through similar experiences.”
The two sprint heroes finished their nights clothed in the Heroes and Stripes, with flags draped over their shoulders and the approval of the American fans streaming down the grandstands at Stade de France to greet them in their victory.
In conclusion, Gabby Thomas’ overwhelming victory in the women’s 200-meter final was a stunning display of speed, technique, and strategic execution. Her gold medal achievement recognizes her particular brilliance and adds to sprinting’s long heritage of greatness. As Thomas prepares for future competitions, her performance will be a highlight of this year’s track and field games.
Thank you for visiting here…..
