Gabby Thomas can now add gold medalist to her resume.  

This is Olivia Miller’s fourth story on the Paris Olympics. Her story this morning is on Gabby Thomas, who won the 200m Olympic gold! Olivia Miller wrote daily columns for RunBlogRun at the recent 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. 

Gabby Thomas can now add gold medalist to her resume, by Olivia Miller 

Thomas had one of her best starts in the women’s 200m final at the Stade de France on Aug 6.

Coming around the bend, she was in the lead, where she would stay. There was no question who would be winning the women’s 200m final. Thomas crossed the finish line at 21.83, roughly two-hundredths of a second behind her personal best. She immediately began bawling.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Thomas said. “I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams that I would become an Olympic gold medalist, and I am one. I’m still kind of wrapping my head around that.”

Fellow American Brittany Brown took home bronze with a time of 22.20.

Julien Alfred of St. Lucia finished second with a time of 22.08. She won her country its first-ever medal just days ago when she beat Sha’Carri Richardson in the women’s 100m.

Now, she has earned the second medal for the country of St. Lucia.

This lineup looked different than expected. Earlier this week, Shericka Jackson of Jamaica pulled out of her 100m race, citing health concerns. Then, just days before she was set to run the 200m, she announced she would be competing, shocking fans. The 2023 World Champion was a definite gold medal contender; she has the second-fastest time ever run by a woman in the 200m (21.41).

Thomas has been waiting for this moment since winning bronze in Tokyo.

“You prepare for this moment, and you train so hard for this moment, but when it actually comes, it’s indescribable. “

Part of that preparation, Thomas says, was competing at the world championships.

“I think doing world championships last year was huge for me. I needed to be in a very high-stakes, pressure environment. That was part of the plan, so that I could come to Paris and execute when there are 80,000 people watching.”

She is the first American since Allyson Felix (2012) to win the 200m at the Olympics. Now she ushers in a new era in American sprinting.