Gabby Thomas went to Paris for a gold medal, and the Northampton native did not disappoint. Thomas easily raced her way to Olympic gold at the Women’s 200-meter on Tuesday.
Thomas was never challenged down the final stretch on the purple track at Stade de France, and finished in 21.83 seconds to claim her first-ever gold medal. She beat out 100-meter champ Julien Alfred of St. Lucia (22.08 seconds) and fellow American Brittany Brown (22.20 seconds), who won silver and bronze, respectively.
As she crossed the finish line, Thomas placed her hands on her head and let her emotions pour out. She is the first American to win gold in the Women’s 200-meter since Allyson Felix did so in the 2012 London Olympics.
Thomas won bronze in the Women’s 200-meter three years ago in the Tokyo Olympics, where she also won a silver medal in the Women’s 4×100-meter relay.
Thomas, 27, is a 2019 graduate of Harvard, where she studied neurobiology and global health. She recently received her Masters degree in public health at the University of Texas.
The Olympic sprinter was named the Ivy League’s Most Outstanding Track Performer in 2017 and
2018. She won the NCAA title for the 200-meter dash in 2018.
After Harvard, Thomas enrolled at the University of Texas. She studied at the school’s health science center to earn her Master’s degree in public health, specializing in epidemiology. She graduated in 2023.
Thomas’ mother would like her daughter to earn her PhD, but the Olympian is focused on her track career at the moment.
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