Gabby Thomas ends 12-year U.S. gold drought in women’s 200m

On Tuesday night in Paris, U.S. sprinter Gabby Thomas ended a 12-year American gold medal drought in the women’s 200m final, winning gold in 21.83 seconds.

Thomas has been nearly unbeatable this season, winning eight of her nine 200m races, and it was no different on Tuesday night at the Stade de France. She won by two-tenths of a second ahead of the newly minted 100m Olympic champion, Julien Alfred, denying Alfred the Olympic sprint double. American Brittany Brown won bronze in a photo finish ahead of British athletes Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita.

The one where @itsgabbyt gets the 🥇

Women’s 200m final was 🔥

🥇 Gabby Thomas 21.83 🇺🇸
🥈 Julien Alfred 22.08 🇱🇨
🥉 Brittany Brown 22.20 🇺🇸 #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/jIf3f9IrL1

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 6, 2024

The last time an American won gold in an individual women’s sprint event at the Olympic Games was Allyson Felix in the women’s 200m at London 2012.

“I’m still wrapping my head around this; winning 200m gold was the happiest moment of my life,” Thomas says. “I feel very grateful for my community and my team.” The American was apparently doing burpees in the Olympic call room to keep her heart rate up before the race. She says she does 10 before every race she does.

Neither the reigning Olympic champion in the women’s 200m from Tokyo 2020, Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah, nor her compatriot, the reigning world champion, Shericka Jackson, competed here in Paris; it was the first Olympic 200m final without a Jamaican woman in the lineup since 1976.

Thomas’s gold is her third career Olympic medal, having won bronze in Tokyo 2020 in the 200m event, and silver with the women’s 4x100m relay team. This is the fifth gold medal for Team USA in athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and the second on Tuesday night at the Stade de France, with Cole Hocker winning gold in the men’s 1,500m final.

Athletics events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are taking place from Aug. 1-11. Today’s coverage is brought to you by Canadian Running and New Balance Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.