Paris 2024 athletics: All results, as the USA’s Gabby Thomas claims stunning Olympic 200m gold
Gabby Thomas’s face said it all.
As she crossed the finish line in front of a bellowing 80,000-strong crowd, the new Paris 2024 women’s Olympic 200m champion’s expression encapsulated the entirety of a night filled with shocks, surprises and wow moments at the Stade de France.
"I’m really in disbelief because having an Olympic gold medal is something in my wildest dreams," she said. "But at the same time, I know how hard I’ve fought for it.
"This has been six years in the making, head down, working hard, going to really hard meets, pushing yourself, and now it’s here and I’ve done it. This is the happiest moment of my life.”
Thomas had entered the Tuesday, 6 August final as the favourite, but that didn’t temper her outpouring of emotions as she crossed the finish line first in front of 100m gold medallist Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia (22.08) and Thomas’s fellow American Brittany Brown (22.20).
At Tokyo 2020, Thomas walked away with a bronze (200m) and silver (4x100m), but the gold of her dreams was elusive.
This night, though, would be different.
The 27-year-old burst out of the blocks, hurtling through the first 100m as she caught and overtook Alfred on the lane outside of her.
As she blazed down the finishing straight, Thomas built a commanding lead as her formidable top-end speed took her all the way through the finish line.
Thomas must have known she was favoured heading into the race. But those tags mean nothing when the pressure builds and seven other world-class sprinters are all putting their heart and soul into winning gold.
However, the sight of familiar faces in the crowd gave the now three-time Olympic medallist the boost she needed to fight her way to the top of the podium.
"When I walked out in this stadium and I knew I had all my friends and family here, I just knew that I had it," she said. "It was a confidence that you can’t really describe. Of course, there was pressure, but I felt confident.”
Even with that confidence, the look of disbelief on her face spoke as much as any interview she will give in the coming days.
This gold meant everything.
Who is Gabby Thomas? The Harvard graduate who stands on top of the sprinting world
Thomas's story isn't just about sprinting — even if that coveted Olympic gold may be the most thrilling chapter so far in her tale.
The Harvard University graduate has a master's degree in public health and studied the sleep patterns of ethnic minorities as part of her post-graduate course.
After Tuesday night, though, she may just struggle to find that good night's rest she so strongly advocates for.
The evening's gold will no doubt be a life-changing experience for Thomas. However, she wants to use her new platform to inspire the next generation of girls who have dreams as big as the ones that took her to Paris 2024.
"I want young girls to look at us as strong female athletes and feel like they can do it, too," she said in a news conference after the race.
"I want them to feel they're encouraged to go into professional sports, I want them to feel encouraged to pursue their dreams, no matter how big or small."
After Tuesday night's victory, there's little doubt she will achieve that goal.
Gabby Thomas of the United States celebrates winning the gold medal in the women's 200m final on day eleven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on 6 August 2024 in Paris, France.
Paris 2024 athletics: Women’s 200m podium
Gold: Gabrielle Thomas (USA)
Silver: Julien Alfred (Saint Lucia)
Bronze: Brittany Brown (USA)