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Gabby Thomas has stormed to the women's 200m title at the ongoing U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, but she's not done just yet. After her stunning performance in the final, the American has now set her eyes on the gold medal in Paris.
Thomas was originally supposed to race both the 200 and 400m distances at the Trials, but opted out of the latter at the last minute. The decision certainly seems to have paid off, as she has been absolutely impeccable in her 200m races.
In her opening round, the Tokyo Olympian clocked a 22.11 to top the chart for heat 4. She only got better in the semifinals, running a world-leading time of 21.78. The finals saw Thomas stop the clock at 21.81 to be assured of an appearance at her second consecutive Games at the Paris Olympics.
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Reacting to this run, Gabby Thomas termed it ‘incredible', while emphasizing the fact that this was just the first step.
“It's just incredible, I knew I needed to get today done and that was just the first step, and there was no gold medal in Paris without making the team today. So I'm just ecstatic to be alongside these amazing, incredible women and everyone in the final and such an amazing race,” she told NBC after her race.
Joining the American in Paris will be Brittany Brown and McKenzie Long, both of whom dipped under the 22-second mark for their spot on the team.
A breakdown of Gabby Thomas’ 200m performances in 2024
Before coming into the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, Gabby Thomas had raced the 200m distance thrice. Her fastest performance then was the 22.08 she clocked at the Texas Relays in March.
She then went on to run times of 22.68 and 22.42 at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix and the USATF New City Grand Prix respectively. Thomas' first time breaching the 22-second mark this year came at the Trials, with her 21.78 world lead.
As she heads into the Paris Olympics, Gabby Thomas' biggest threat for the gold medal will likely be Jamaica's Shelly Anne Fraiser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson. At Tokyo, Thomas had walked away with a bronze in the 200m, and fans will be curious to see if she can upgrade the color of her medal this time around.
