EUGENE, Oregon – Gabby Thomas wasn’t playing around. Thomas had a mindset of winning the women’s 200 going into Day 9 of the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials. Thomas not only won the 200, but she also affirmed her status as the top American sprinter in the intermediate sprint.
Thomas said in an interview with News4usonline editor Dennis J. Freeman that she didn’t have to change anything outside her normal routine in prepping for this race.
“Honestly, no,” Thomas said. “All the preparation came before the actual race. I just had to remind myself that I know what I’m doing and just focus, block everything else out, and do what I love.”
At the 2021 Olympic trials, which were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thomas busted loose to run away from the field to clock a fast 21.6 to earn the title as the American national champion in the 200.
In the semifinals of those trials, Thomas ran 21.94 and telegraphed what was to come in the finals. Thomas would go on to win a bronze medal at the 2021 Olympics.
Fast forward to 2024. Thomas squared off against the 100-meter champion Sha’Carri Richardson for the top spot in the 200. This would be just as good as it gets.
The world’s top sprinter in Richardson was matched up against the American champion from the 2021 Olympic trials. Richardson missed out on running the 200 during those trials because she had tested positive for a banned substance and was subsequently barred from participating in the Summer Games.
Richardson has become the poster child for American track and field since. When she won the world championship in the 100 and finished third in the 200 in 2023 in Budapest, it solidified her status as the next darling of American track and field sprints.
That is until she went up against Thomas and the rest of the women in the 200-meter final at Hayward Field. As she did in the previous Olympic trials, Thomas showed what was to come in the women’s 200 semifinals, coasting to a time of 21.7.
Richardson posted a time of 21.92 in her semifinal heat, setting up a highly anticipated final.
The expected showdown between Thomas and Richardson fizzled. The final was all Thomas. Leading the charge that saw three women cross over the mark of 22 seconds, Thomas won the race in a time of 21.8.
“My mindset was I really want to win,” Thomas said. “I kept telling myself that I just have to get top three, but deep down I knew I wanted to win.”
Richardson did not make the top three, bringing up the rear in fourth place with a time of 22.16. Brittany Brown (21.90) and McKenzie Long (21.91) surprised probably everyone by outrunning Richardson to the second and third spots.
Dennis has covered and written about politics, crime, social justice, sports, and entertainment. Dennis currently covers the NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, and Olympic sports. Dennis is the editor of News4usonline.com and serves as the publisher of the Compton Bulletin newspaper. He earned a journalism degree from Howard University.