The Paris Olympics were a whirlwind for most track and field fans. From a surprise second-place finish in the 100m dash by Sha’Carri Richardson to Gabby Thomas clinching her maiden Olympic gold. But amid this, one track star seemed to have been left behind—Brittany Brown. In the 200m finals, Thomas might’ve turned heads, but Brown wasn’t far behind. Her stellar time of 22.20 seconds was good enough for the third step of the podium.

With 3 appearances in the Diamond League, the 29-year-old dominated every single one. Her most recent win was at the Brussels Diamond League. She clinched the Diamond Trophy with 22.20 seconds on the clock. But in a post-race interview, she reveals what kept her going throughout. The sprinter has never shied away from sharing her story, and many fans resonated with her. “To hear your story made me want to keep going and make beauty out of ashes,” she stated.

After successfully punching her ticket to Paris with a blistering 21.90 seconds at the 200m at Hayward Field, she let fans in on her life on X. She opened up about how she’s never won a track state title or gone to a ‘big track school.’ The sprinter even highlighted how she had never won an NCAA Title or got signed by a shoe company right out of college. “BUT I JUST WOKE UP AN OLYMPIAN!!” However, this isn’t the first time she’s shared moments from her life. 

Brown stated, “Around the women’s health issues, not being able to go to a big school, not being recruited. So many people have reached out to me, even non-athletes, who were just like, ‘I felt overlooked, and I felt like my situation, my environment wasn’t inducive to me. It was hard.” But the 29-year-old’s honesty helped many people push through. Even though certain fans feel like her perseverance impacted them, the sprinter gained a new perspective through these interactions too. 

The 29-year-old exclaims, “I just feel really inspired by the women, and I carry those stories with me, I carry those DMs, I look at them all!” These moments have given her a sense of community, “Like we’re not alone.” She wants her fans to take away one thing from her experiences. The sprinter wishes they didn’t feel as alone listening to her stories. But she didn’t witness much of this fanfare during the 2024 Paris Olympics. In fact, the spotlight was on other big names. 

Sha’Carri Richardson and Gabby Thomas made heads turn in the French capital

Gabby Thomas had been training long and hard for her first Olympic gold. As she stepped into lane 7 for the 200m finals, the sprinter locked horns with the Olympic 100m Champion, Julien Alfred. However, the 27-year-old believed that this was going to be her night. Quick off the blocks, she sprinted past her competitors and seized the top spot with a blistering 21.83 seconds. “This is six years in the making, at least. All of it was for this moment,” she stated after the fairy tale moment. 

Sha’Carri Richardson may have missed the top spot in the 100m finals. But she didn’t want to leave the French capital without the coveted gold hardware. In the 4x100m relay, Team USA was in fourth place when the baton made it to the sprinter. However, it didn’t take too long for her to speed past her contenders. Fans were already excited for the comfortable lead the 24-year-old gave the team. But it was her ice-cold side-eye that caused a stir on the internet. Even though many missed the sprinter in Brussels tonight, Brittany Brown swooped in and gave fans a final they wouldn’t want to miss!