The USA’s boxing team might not be doing so well in the 2024 Paris Olympics, but athletes in track and field can’t stop snagging the medals. After Noah Lyles secured gold in the 100-meter sprint recently, Gabby Thomas, 27, snagged gold in the 200-meter race on Tuesday night! Former two-time gold medalist and undefeated heavyweight champion Claressa Shields took to social media, praising the Atlanta native. 

The Stade de France Stadium was packed to the brim with a roaring crowd of 77,000 spectators when Thomas won the women’s 200-meter final, crossing the finish line in 21.83 seconds. She left behind Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia and Team USA’s Brittany Brown, who came in at 22.08 and 22.22 respectively. Seeing this, Shields wrote, “Listen @itsgabbyt, been on fire this entire OLYMPICS so happy for her!!!!”

In fact, Thomas, fully in control of the outcome, led the entire race as runners sprinted around the curved track. When she finally crossed the finish line, her excitement erupted! Screaming in celebration, the 27-year-old was overcome with emotions, realizing she had achieved her goal. After all, this was everything she had failed to do on her last trip to the Olympic village.

Back in the Tokyo Olympics, a 24-year-old Thomas secured a silver from the 4x100m relay and a bronze from the 200-meter. Her top-of-the-podium finish this year brings her Olympic medal tally to three. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that she has a great shot at breaking the world record at this point. Meanwhile, Gabby Thomas herself couldn’t believe how the win made her feel.

Gabby Thomas won the race as she envisioned it

Thomas is expected to run the 4×100 relay in Paris in the coming days and revealed Tuesday that the 4×400 is also in her sights. Yet, her first-ever career gold medal was exactly how she envisioned it! “I’ve envisioned this race in my head so many times over and over, as I do with every race,” Thomas said.

“That’s how I win races. But I did not expect to feel how I felt when I crossed that line”, she continued. Thomas had prepared for this moment all her life, winning silver in the 2023 World Championships in the 200-meters, but when Olympic gold came, it was “indescribable.” It’s so unbelievable for the 27-year-old at this point in time that she added, “I’m still wrapping my head around that”. 

The Olympic journey for Gabby Thomas hasn’t come to an end yet! As Thomas looks forward to more potential medals, Claressa Shields is definitely cheering for her from the sidelines. Will she do more? Only time will tell. Until then, give us your predictions for the races ahead.