"One of the mistakes"- Gabby Thomas weighs in on breaking Florence Griffith Joyner's long-standing 200m World Record

Gabby Thomas spoke about the 200m World Record set by the legendary athlete, Florence Griffith Joyner. It is one of the most long-standing records in women's track events along with the 100m and the 800m. The American athlete expressed that she had a different mindset while competing and shed light on the downside of chasing records while competing.

Gabby Thomas competed in her second consecutive Olympic games in Paris and was considered to be one of the top prospects for the podium after putting forward incredible performances early in the 2024 season and dominating the U.S. Olympic Trials. She went head to head against top athletes like Julien Alfred, Favour Ofili, and Brittany Brown among others in the women's 200m finals.

Thomas dominated the line-up registering a formidable win to clinch her first Olympic gold medal in Paris with a performance of 21.83s. Furthermore, she went on to win the gold medal in the women's 4x100m and the 4x400m relay. She concluded her campaign in the French capital with three gold medals.

Her performances at the quadrennial games drew comparisons with the legendary athlete Florence Griffith Joyner, who holds the world record in the women's 100 and the 200m set back in 1988. Gabby Thomas spoke about breaking the long-standing world record in an interview with HuffPost and said:

“I think chasing records in our sport is one of the mistakes that you can truly make.”

Thomas aims to excel in the sport and add to her legacy as she competes in the upcoming events, however, she will not be competing to chase records as it would lead to undue pressure as well as have a profound impact on her performance.

Gabby Thomas on being inspired by Florence Griffith Joyner

Gabby Thomas at the Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 15 - Source: Getty

Gabby Thomas spoke about being inspired by Florence Griffith Joyner in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel Live. Speaking about how the legendary athlete stands as an inspiration to athletes all around the world she said:

“We all know Florence Griffith Joyner. She is a legend, and I really think she changed the game. She empowered us, she inspired us. We watched her run and she would put on a show and people wanted to see her compete because she had her hair and nails done. Her uniforms were fabulous. We all kind of channel down that energy when we run down the track.”

Furthermore, Thomas aims to inspire the upcoming generation of athletes after displaying excellence in academics as well as her victorious pursuits on the track.