Gabby Thomas asserted herself the moment she left the blocks in the women’s 200m final on Tuesday and struck Olympic gold as she made a dominant move through the turn.
And with a commanding kick to punctuate a near flawless race, the American soared to victory in 21.83 — leaving memories of her bronze in Tokyo in the past.
Thomas was barely contested for the final 100m of the race, with 100m champ, Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred claiming silver in 22.08 and fellow American Brittany Brown took the bronze in 22.20.
“I envisioned this race over and over from start to finish. I’ve been envisioning it since I made the team,” Thomas said. “And I was not prepared for how I was going to feel when I crossed the line as an Olympic champion. There’s nothing like walking into a stadium of 80,000 people screaming and they’re right on top of you.”
After Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson of Jamaica withdrew from the 200m because of injury, Thomas’ was widely viewed as the favorite for Tuesday’s race.
“I wouldn’t say I was relieved when Sherika [Jackson] pulled out,” Thomas said. “It’s unfortunate that you can’t have your reigning world champion competing. But I was confident going into the race. I did not realize I won the race until I crossed the line.”
Being heavily relied on to win is something Thomas, 27, said she is constantly adjusting to, with the spotlight increasing with her newest piece of Olympic hardware. After battling back from hamstring injuries in 2022, she is healthy and carried the weight of a 12 year drought no American women winning the 200m gold.
“It’s a lot more fun to run when people aren’t expecting things of you. Coming off of the Tokyo Olympics, my life definitely changed, she said. “There were a lot of expectations. I had to adapt. That’s what all of the best athletes do.”
Her next chance to win gold on the Olympic stage will be part of the 4×100 relay squad if Team USA advances to Saturday’s final.
