"Gabby Thomas pulled a Usain Bolt on them"; "That's literally everyone's dream"-Fans react as Gabby Thomas runs away with 200m gold at Paris Olympics

Fans rallied behind American sprinter Gabby Thomas with words of appreciation following her 200m gold at the ongoing Paris Olympics. Some even compared her to Jamaican legend Usain Bolt following her blistering speed in the finals.

Thomas, who holds the title of second-fastest American woman in the 200m category, competed in the 200m finals at the Paris Games on Tuesday. In the presence of more than 77,000 fans at the Stade de France, Thomas reigned supreme on the night and crossed the finish line in 21.83 seconds.

The Atlanta, Georgia, native took an early lead in the race and maintained it until the end to grab her first Olympic gold medal. Thomas had previously won a bronze in the 200m event at the Tokyo Olympics and a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships.

Julien Alfred, the winner of the 100m finals on Sunday, August 4, nabbed the silver after placing second with a time of 22.08 seconds. Another American sprinter, Brittany Brown, finished third, clocking 22.20 to win the first Olympic medal of her track-running career.

Emmanuel Acho, the former NFL linebacker and current sports analyst, shared a video of Thomas' win on X (formerly Twitter), writing:

"Imagine graduating from Harvard at 22 and winning an Olympic gold medal at 27. Gabby Thomas, you are legendary my friend. Legendary!"

Fans responded to the post to express their admiration for the runner, commenting on her athletic prowess and Harvard background. One fan wrote:

"That's literally everyone's dream"

"She is smart and she is the fastest in 200m!" another fan wrote.

"I want to be like her when I grow up! Love her," a fan tweeted.

"Gabby Thomas might be perfection personified. My god," a user commented.

One fan drew comparisons between her and Usain Bolt, writing:

"Gabby Thomas pulled an Usain Bolt on them"

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Gabby Thomas' Olympic dreams came to fruition in Paris

Gabby Thomas after winning 200m finals at Paris 2024 Olympic Games - Day 11 - Athletics - Source: Getty

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, Gabby Thomas stated in an interview with People magazine in July that she was simply happy to be present at the previous Tokyo Games and said that it felt unexpected at the time. She added that she had landed in France with "bigger goals" this time around and was determined to do everything possible to win the gold.

"In 2021, I was just happy to be there, and it felt a bit unexpected. Now, I have bigger goals for myself and I am doing everything I can to bring home the gold. I truly feel like this is a special year," Thomas was quoted as saying by People.

With the 200m event done, Gabby Thomas is now expected to participate in the 4x100m relay scheduled to take place on Friday, August 9.