Gabby Thomas secured a gold medal in the women’s 200 meters at the 2024 Olympics held in Saint-Denis, France. The 27-year-old, who also won bronze in the same event during the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, finished first in 21.83 seconds, taking the lead decisively at the curve and maintaining it until the finish line. Thomas, a Harvard graduate with a Masters in public health, displayed her excitement by shouting and holding her head in disbelief after her victory.
She surpassed Julien Alfred of St. Lucia, the 100-meter champion, by 0.25 seconds. Brittany Brown from the U.S. secured the bronze, just 0.02 seconds ahead of Dina Asher-Smith of Britain, who was narrowly faster than teammate Daryll Neita. The Americans have dominated the sprints at the Stade de France, with Thomas’s gold following Noah Lyles’ success in the men’s 100 meters.
Thomas, who majored in neurobiology and global health at Harvard before studying sleep patterns of various ethnic groups at the University of Texas, reaped the benefits of her dual focus on academics and track training. With reigning world champion Shericka Jackson absent due to an injury, Thomas entered the competition as a strong contender and proved her prowess in front of a full audience at the event.
Not even Alfred, who had previously secured her country’s first Olympic medal in the 100 meters, could match Thomas’s performance on this occasion. The race was a clear victory for Thomas, underscoring her talent and dedication to the sport.
