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PARIS — Gabby Thomas made a telling comment earlier this summer when she talked about what it would be like to arrive at the Olympics as a gold medal favorite.
Thomas, 27, one of the leading women in American sprinting, said she cannot give in to the weight of expectations if she wants to be remembered as a legend of her sport.
“Great athletes thrive under pressure,” Thomas said. “If I want to be a great athlete, if I want to be among names like Sanya, Allyson, Carmelita, Dawn, I have to compete under pressure and accept that that’s part of it.”
The moment to put his feet on those words finally came Tuesday night in front of another enthusiastic crowd at France’s largest stadium. Thomas emerged from the Stade de France tunnel just before the start of the Olympic 200-meter final, raising his arms in the air and smiling as he made his way to his starting spot in lane 7.
To Thomas’ right was St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred, the 100-meter champion who edged out Sha’Carri Richardson to take his Caribbean nation’s first medal. To Thomas’ left was fellow American Brittany Brown, who arrived in Paris in the best form of her life and then easily won the first round and semifinals. Those two were supposed to be the biggest threat to Thomas after Tokyo Olympic champion Shericka Jackson withdrew due to injury.
It didn’t take long for him to prove that no one would stop him from claiming Olympic gold in his signature race. He pulled away from Alfred and Brown as he rounded the bend and maintained that distance as he charged towards the finish line.
Thomas won Olympic gold in 21.83 seconds, placing her hands on her head in disbelief as she crossed the finish line and then draping an American flag over her shoulders. Alfred came in second in 22.08 to win her second medal in three days — and her country’s second medal ever. Brown finished third in 22.20, giving the U.S. two runners on the podium.
(tags to translate)Gabby Thomas