What a difference three years can make! Gabby Thomas proved just that when, for the first time in 12 years, Jamaica didn’t dominate the women’s 200-meter sprint at the Olympics. On August 6, 2024, Gabby Thomas blazed through Lane 7 on the purple track at the Stade de France to claim gold at the Paris Olympics, ending a 12-year wait since Allyson Felix’s win in London 2012. Her victory also halted Jamaica’s streak that began in Rio 2016 with Elaine Thompson-Herah’s double wins.

In the first 30 meters, reigning Olympic 100-meter champion Julien Alfred from Saint Lucia running from Lane 8, was neck and neck with Gabby. Julien’s lightning-fast reaction time of 0.136 seconds compared to Gabby’s 0.165 seconds had her in the lead early on. But as they hit the curve, the tables didn’t just flip—they were toppled! Gabby surged ahead, showcasing her dominance and leaving the field of seven in her wake. Gabby’s gold-winning time of 21.83 seconds put Julien in silver with 22.08 seconds and Brittany Brown of the U.S. in bronze with 22.20 seconds.

With the two medals won by Gabby Thomas and Brittany Brown, Team USA now leads with the most all-time women’s 200m Olympic medals (15), surpassing Jamaica’s 13, and has achieved the feat of having two U.S. women on the Olympic 200m podium for the third time. The first was in 1984 in Los Angeles, with Valerie Brisco-Hooks and Florence Griffith-Joyner of the U.S. and Merlene Ottey of Jamaica, and the second was in 2012 in London, with Allyson Felix and Carmelita Jeter from the U.S. and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica.

This wasn’t just a victory—it was a comeback story for the ages. Just a few months before the Tokyo Games in 2021, Gabby’s life was hanging in the balance. While searching for answers to hamstring pain, an MRI revealed a tumor on her liver—its nature, cancerous or benign, was uncertain.

Gabby Thomas turned her tumor scare into the drive that propelled her to achieve her Olympic dreams!

Gabby Thomas was training for the pinnacle of her career, the Tokyo Olympics, when life threw a curveball her way: a liver tumor. Instead of letting it derail her, Thomas kept pushing through the uncertainty. While awaiting test results, she continued her intense training regimen. Her focus wasn’t just on the physical; it was about staying mentally sharp. According to SELF, in a moment of raw honesty, she promised God, “If I am healthy, I’m going to go out and win Trials.” And guess what? She did just that.

The results came back benign just before she hit Eugene, Oregon, for the 2021 US Olympic Trials. With a clear mind and a fierce determination, she stormed through the finish line with a time of 21.61 seconds—only the legendary Florence Griffith-Joyner had clocked a faster time at that time. Thomas was ecstatic, saying, “It definitely changed how I view myself as a runner. I am still in shock… my dream was to make the Olympic team… Now that I’ve accomplished [that], I’m going to set higher goals.”

Fast forward to August 3, 2021, and Gabby Thomas was not just dreaming big; she was making it happen. She snagged a bronze medal in the 200 meters at the Olympics, finishing behind Elaine Thompson-Herah and Christine Mboma. But her Olympic journey wasn’t over yet. Just three days later, she anchored the U.S. team in the 4×100 meter relay, securing a silver medal with teammates Javianne Oliver, Teahna Daniels, and Jenna Prandini, and finishing just behind the Jamaican team.

Three years later, at the Paris Olympics, Gabby Thomas’s gold medal brings her journey full circle, as she claims the title of the world’s fastest woman and restores American dominance atop the Olympic podium after 12 years! What are your thoughts on her incredible journey? Share in the comments below!