"I’d love to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower"- Gabby Thomas shares her bucket list for Paris Olympics 2024

Gabby Thomas will head to Paris hoping not only to sweep titles but to also enjoy the views from atop the Eiffel Tower. Thomas qualified in the 200m for the Paris Olympics after clocking a blistering time of 21.78s, the world-leading time for this year. Reigning world 100m champion Sha'Carri Richardson finished fourth, missing out on a 200m spot.

Thomas was a part of the silver-winning 4x100m relay team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she also clinched an individual bronze in the 200m. Aiming to make her second Olympic team, the 27-year-old kickstarted her 2024 Olympic outdoor season with stellar performances at the Texas Relays. She secured a double gold podium after clocking 10.88s in the 200m invitational and 22.08s in the 200m invitational, thus setting the meeting record.

She maintained her 200m win streak at the 2024 US Olympic Trials, where she qualified her for the Summer Games, scheduled to take place in the picturesque French capital, Paris. In an interview, Thomas unveiled that she wishes to climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower during her upcoming Paris visit.

"I have been to Paris before, but when I went previously, I didn’t have a ton of free time to explore. So, this time around, I’d love to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower and actually climb up there because I didn’t get to do that last time," she said in an exclusive interview with Essence.

She also shared that Paris has always been one of the top two travel destinations on her bucket list, more because she enjoys running there.

"Paris has always been one of my top two destinations for my favorite places to go travel to – especially to run, so I’m very excited about the upcoming Games and the opportunity to run in the city again, she added.

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Gabby Thomas on her laser-focussed mindset - "I didn't even go on vacation, I didn't do a lot of partying!"

Thomas opened her 2024 season with a 300m win at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, clocking 35.75s. After her feat, she was interviewed by a Jamaican sports journalist, where the two-time Olympian shared her focussed routine which didn't include any trips and parties.

"I really want a gold medal and I know what that's going to take. So I just, I didn't even go on vacation, I didn't do a lot of partying. I'm just like, I need to rest. I need to rest my soul, get my mind right, get ready for this Olympic year," she said, in a clip posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Thomas shared recently that compared to her participation at the Tokyo Olympics, she now feels like a veteran on the track, especially having won more titles since then.