At the track-and-field Olympics trials in Eugene, Oregon, earlier this year, Gabby Thomas stood firm in her decision. Rather than competing in both the 200- and 400-meter races (because, of course, she can do both), the track star told USA Today at the time that she would focus only on the 200 meters in hopes of bringing home her first gold medal from the Paris Olympics. On Tuesday night in Stade de France, Thomas did just that, winning the women’s 200-meter final in front of a crowd of more than 77,000 fans. Her face as she crossed the finish line showed instant joy and relief with happy tears in tow. The 27-year-old said she wanted nothing less than gold, and boy, did she deliver.
Mission accomplished for Gabby Thomas with a GOLD medal in the 200m! #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/O7wQjNquCi
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 6, 2024
Thomas clinched her long-sought-after Olympic gold medal, finishing in 21.83 seconds, leading St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred (22.08) and fellow Team USA athlete Brittany Brown (22.20). The win marks Thomas’s third Olympic medal; at just 24 years old, she took home the bronze in the 200m final and silver in the 4x100 relay at her prior Olympics outing in Tokyo. Thomas is now the first American to secure gold in the women’s 200m since Allyson Felix, her personal hero, in 2012.
In case you needed any additional reasons to love her, Thomas is a graduate of Harvard, studied neurobiology, has a master’s degree in epidemiology, and volunteers at a clinic for the uninsured in Texas, according to Front Office Sports. We adore a two-time Olympian who can do both.
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