Gabby Thomas made history at the London Diamond League. Clinching victory in the 200m with a time of 21.82 seconds, her performance shattered the London Diamond League meet record, previously held by Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah, which had stood the test of time for nine years. Yet there was a stage during the race when fans were expecting a British winner only to be stunned by Thomas’s comeback, after her sluggish start.

As the race began, Thomas appeared to be lagging. London’s own Dina Asher-Smith exploded out of the blocks and took an early lead. The crowd roared as she rounded the bend. But just as the excitement peaked, the tables turned dramatically. Julien Alfred began closing in on Asher-Smith and moved into second place. As they hit the final stretch, the tension was palpable.

Thomas, who had started with less momentum, began her powerful surge and overtook Asher-Smith and then Alfred with her mind-blowing speed. The crowd erupted in cheers as Thomas raised her arms while winning. With this, she shattered the London Diamond League meet record, previously held by Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah, who registered a time of 22.10 seconds in 2015.

While Julien Alfred finished at 21.86 seconds and Dina Asher-Smith crossed the line at 22.07 seconds, Gabby Thomas’s performance on the day was what everyone expected from her before the Olympics, where she is targeting Flo-Jo’s 36-year-old Olympic record.

Speaking after the win, she said, “I feel really good. It’s made me feel confident going into the Paris Games after that one.”

Coming from behind is what Thomas has been doing this season. She faced challenges in May 2024 in the LA Grand Prix women’s 200m event in LA’s Drake Stadium. In the race, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won with a personal best time of 22.07 seconds. Thomas, unfortunately, did not make it to the top three, finishing sixth with a time of 22.68 seconds.

Since then, Thomas has been consistently hitting her stride, and she proved it at the trials as well. On June 29th, the Tokyo bronze and reigning world silver medalist led from the get-go at Hayward Field in Eugene. She left even the fastest woman in the 100m—yes, none other than Sha’Carri Richardson herself—in dust, in a feat that speaks for itself. Yes, Richardson might have initially turned heads with a personal-best 21.92 in the semi-final, but it was Thomas who ultimately answered back with a blazing 21.78 in the final, setting a world lead time.

With her personal best in 200m remaining at 21.60 seconds from Hayward Field’s race back in 2023, she believes Flo-Jo’s record set at 21.34 at the 1988 Seoul Olympics is within her reach.

“I think it’s in reach for me at the Olympics, if the conditions are right. The super-fast tracks are now incredible, and my sponsors New Balance have put a lot of development into our spikes. You really feel like you’re getting a lot back from the track,” she said in an interview with The Guardian a day before the London Diamond League. Her performances this season have been similar to Sha’Carri Richardson’s.

As the fastest woman in the 100m last year, Richardson had a tough start this season. She lost to 19-year-old Torrie Lewis at the Xiamen Diamond League, where Lewis won with a time of 22.96 seconds and Richardson came in second with 22.99 seconds. Richardson’s struggles continued at the Shanghai Diamond League, where she finished third in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.11 seconds. But right now, SCR is most favorable to winning the Olympics in 100m and making the USA proud, just like her compatriot, Thomas.

While Richardson has already booked her ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics in the 100m, Thomas chose to scratch herself off of the 400m earlier in the week to focus solely on the 200m—a gamble that has clearly paid off. Her recent win in the 100m at the London Games has sent the track and field community into overdrive, with excitement buzzing all over X.

Olympic enthusiasts gasp in disbelief over Gabby Thomas’s stunning victory

As Gabby Thomas dazzled on the track, fans showed their excitement on social media. One fan enthused, “Gabby Thomas is ready to make a statement in Paris. I just hope Shericka Jackson has fully recovered for the Olympics.” Well, that showdown will be the nail-biter, as Jackson, the Jamaican queen, has a personal best of 21.41 seconds in the 200m. However, at the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix on July 10th, Jackson was injured, as she was seen limping with about 50 meters to go but managed to cross the finish line without any help.

If she’s back in top shape, it’ll be a must-watch clash. Remember the last time they squared off was at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest? Well, that was when Thomas clocked 21.81 seconds, trailing Jackson’s standout 21.40 seconds. This upcoming match could be the one to keep your eyes peeled for!

Another comment highlighted the thrilling nature of the race: “Ohhh, that was fire from Gabby Thomas 🔥🔥🔥! She had a rough start and was 4th at the curve, but she kept her cool and edged out Alfred at the line.” True enough! Initially, Thomas struggled with a slow bend, trailing behind Dina Asher-Smith, who led the race with a strong start. However, Thomas turned the tide with a powerful surge, overtaking both Asher-Smith and Julien Alfred in the final stretch. Despite a steady 0.9 m/s headwind, Thomas clinched victory to send a message just before the Paris Games.

Another fan was equally astonished: “WTF! Gabby Thomas just jogged the first 50m and still ran 21.8 into a headwind. That was ridiculous!” Summing it up perfectly, one fan added, “Sheeesh. Idk what the announcer thought, but Gabby Thomas did not get out good at all lol that was ugly, but man she stormed back.”

Another remarked on the impressive performances across the board: “Oh my goodness! Dina’s start was electric, Alfred is so strong she holds her own, Gabby Thomas—my oh my, that finish was a thunderbolt! #LondonDL.” Indeed, Dina Asher-Smith bolted off the blocks with a strong start, leading the race through the bend but ultimately finishing third. Yet she remains a force to be reckoned with, having first broken the national 100m record in May 2015 with a time of 11.02 seconds, and soon after becoming the first Brit to go under the 11-second barrier.

Alfred, despite finishing second, established a new personal best and St. Lucian national record at 21.86s. In her two 200m races before Saturday, she ran 22.58 at the Mt. Sac Relays on April 20 and 22.16 at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial on July 9.

But the London Diamond League belonged to Gabby Thomas. Her stunning win after a troubling start highlights what she is capable of and come Paris, she will be the one to watch out for in a field full of top-notch runners.

With the competition heating up, do you think Gabby Thomas can pull out all the stops and come out on top of the grandest stage of them all, the Paris Olympics?