Gabby Thomas enjoyed her journey back home with sugary drinks and her favorite movie, after winning three golds in the 200m, 4x100m, and 4x400m relay at the Paris Olympics. She touched down in the US and received a surprise from her partner brand, Toyota, as well.
Thomas, 27, qualified in the 200m finals for the Paris Olympics after winning the distance in 21.81s at the US Olympic Trials. She also qualified to compete in the 4x100m and 4x400m relay events after her gold-winning performances at the 2024 World Athletics Relays.
Thomas clocked 21.83s in the 200m finals in Paris and secured the win dominantly. She ran the third leg of the 4x100m relay and helped the US team to victory. Thomas ran the third leg of the women's 4x400m relay and helped the US team to the Olympic gold in 3:15.27. The efforts of Thomas, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Alexis Holmes, and Shamier Little broke a 36-year-old American record, set at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
After Thomas' resounding success in Paris, she took a flight back home to the US, indulging in a sugar drink and watching her favorite movie, 'Challengers', during her journey. She took to her Instagram stories to share a clip, captioning:
"Drinking sugar and watching my fav movie rn life is so good."
In the last clip, she showed off her brand partner, Toyota's Olympic-themed car, painted with Thomas' gold-winning moment at the 2024 Summer Games. Her caption asserted that the car stood outside the airport to give a ride home to the five-time Olympic medalist. She wrote:
"My ride for tonight".
Gabby Thomas on her Olympic golds - "This has been a six-year plan"
Walking home with three golds and the honor of being the most decorated track athlete of the Paris Olympics was an indescribable feeling for Gabby Thomas. After her 200m bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, she worked hard for years to reach the pinnacle of Olympic success.
Shedding more light on her stellar show, Thomas said (via Mirror):
"I feel like I’ve worked very hard, and everything has been a part of the plan. This has been a six-year plan, ever since moving to Texas. We’ve been working hard every day for this, so I earned it. But it’s still an unbelievable, indescribable feeling".
Thomas moved to Texas to pursue her master's degree in epidemiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. She graduated from Harvard University with a degree in neurobiology and global health.