Gabby Thomas has done it! The stacked rows at Stade de France and the million eyes behind the screens are witnesses; that post the turn on the track, Thomas’ lead was uncatchable. Titled the new Olympics women’s 200m champion, she has successfully upgraded her Tokyo bronze into a lustrous gold. Imagine, all done and dusted in just 21.83 seconds! While nothing tops the feeling of standing on the Olympic podium’s highest step, her bronze finish last time was nothing less significant. Indeed, it had come in after the possibility of a major health scare posed a threat to her dreams.

In 2021, just when she was gearing up to perform at the Olympic Trials, a rug was pulled from under her feet. Looking to pinpoint the cause of her long-drawn hamstring pain, Thomas got an MRI of her lower back, and it flashed a tumor on her liver. Before additional details could come in, the anxiety of whether it was cancerous or not was gut-wrenching. Nonetheless, she did not halt her training. Continuing to push ahead with a shroud of uncertainty in her mind felt “crazy mentally.” But she felt a huge sense of relief when she was finally cleared to compete!

When a gazillion different versions of ‘what if’ were going back and forth in her mind, Thomas promised herself, “If I am healthy, I’m going to go out and win Trials.” Well, it turned out her tumor was benign, and now was the time to live up to her word. And the tracks of Hayward Field were testament that she did not falter. Cruising to victory in 21.61 seconds, she secured her Tokyo spot! Post which, she said, “I was like, I’m just happy to be here. I’m going to kick a** because I’m healthy. Maybe that was part of it. Part of my relief, showed in how I raced.” Indeed, it did.

Gabby Thomas is the new 200m Olympic champion

2024’s fastest woman in 200m, Gabby Thomas was a top contender to win the finals. Her 21.78 seconds timing, has been the speediest this season, and unsurpassed so far. Plus, historically speaking, only three women have been faster than her in this sprinting category. And when Shericka Jackson withdrew from the 200m category on August 5, that shaved a bit of the competition off from the line up. But for Gabby, it looked like nothing else mattered. Her eyes were set on the golden reward, as she was the fastest qualifier in the finals too, with 21.86 seconds.

And just like the semi-finals, Julian Alfred raced to the silver spot behind Thomas in the finals with a 22.08 seconds. Moreover, 2024’s 4th fastest 200m sprinter Brittany Brown seized the third place with her 22.20 timing. While the NCAA sensation McKenzie Long narrowly missed a medal. Despite her timing being second fastest this year behind Thomas, Long’s performance did not seem enough in the finals. Nonetheless, it seems she found a new role model in Gabby Thomas. What do you think about Thomas’ win and her journey? Let us know below.