For many years and in several Olympic Games, the Team USA track and field team witnessed Jamaica’s reign in the main speed events. And not only thanks to Usain Bolt, winner of the 100 and 200 meters in Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016. Also, due to the queen Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. But that is changing on the purple track of the Stade de France with the victories of Noah Lyles in the men’s 100 meters and Gabby Thomas this Tuesday in the women’s 200 meters.
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Thomas' victory in the double hectometer was the first for the United States in this distance since Allyson Felix in 2012.
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The 200-meter men's races and the 4x100 relays are still pending, but the prospects for the USA Track and Field team are much better. On the contrary, Jamaica has not yet won any gold medals in Saint-Denis, partly because Kishane Thompson, one of their main contenders, was defeated by Lyles last Sunday.
Gabby Thomas's great victory
Thomas, 27 years old and a Harvard graduate (in neurobiology), followed her coach's advice, accelerated towards victory, entered the final stretch in first place, and never looked back to win the gold medal in the women's 200 meters with a time of 21.83 seconds. This medal adds to the bronze she took home in Tokyo 2020.
"I don't think it could have gone better," said Thomas, who barely crossed the finish line, shouted and put both hands on his head, in what he called "the happiest moment of my life."
Behind her finished Julien Alfred, from Santa Lucia, the champion of the 100 meters on Saturday and who gave her country its second medal in history.
Brittany Brown, also from the United States, won the bronze medal, relegating the two British competitors who had a chance at the final to fourth and fifth place.
As proof of the handover between Jamaica and the United States, in the final of the women's 200 meters, no athlete from the Caribbean country qualified, which was left very affected after Elaine Thompson-Herah's withdrawal from the Paris 2024 Olympics due to an injury.