At the Paris 2024 Olympics, several Black female athletes delivered outstanding performances, bringing glory to their respective countries and making history.
Among these remarkable achievements, American sprinter Gabby Thomas finally claimed the global title she has long sought, delivering a dominant performance to secure Olympic gold in the 200 meters on Tuesday.
Thomas, 27, who had previously earned a bronze medal in Tokyo and a silver at last year’s world championships, had been vocal about her quest for an Olympic title.
In the highly anticipated final, she took control of the race and finished in 21.83 seconds. Overwhelmed with disbelief, Thomas crossed the finish line with a wide smile, hands on her head.
“Honestly, I kind of blanked out for all of it, I can’t even remember what I was doing, I just wanted to win,” Thomas said. “The only moment I remember was crossing the finish line and being in disbelief, that was it.”
Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia, who had claimed her country’s first Olympic medal with a gold in the 100 meters on Saturday, took silver in the 200 meters with a time of 22.08 seconds. Brittany Brown of the U.S. earned the bronze, finishing in 22.20 seconds.
“I’m tired. Long five days,” Alfred told reporters. “I did feel ready for the 200m tonight. I feel good, no complaints at all. This means a lot. First Olympics, to go back with gold and silver, I can’t ask for more than that.”
Thomas entered the Olympics with the world’s fastest time of the season at 21.78 seconds and made a strong statement in Monday’s semi-finals, effortlessly pulling away from the field in the final 50 meters to finish in 21.86 seconds.
The final race, held under a dazzling light show at Stade de France, was a blur for Thomas, who holds a Harvard degree in neurobiology and a Master’s in public health from the University of Texas.
“I have actually never forgotten a race so quickly in my life,” Thomas said. “I was just on autopilot, but I practiced for it, everything that I did up until that moment was to prepare myself to run that race, so I just knew how to do it, so I did it.”
Thomas celebrated her victory by ringing the track-side victory bell, draped in an American flag.
Reflecting on her achievement, she added, “I was only able to have one bite of the famous croissant cookie you guys have here, so I’m gonna go get one tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, British sprinters Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Asher-Smith missed the bronze by two hundredths of a second and expressed her satisfaction with the race.
“I just really enjoyed that. I just got told myself ‘when the gun goes, just run’ and whatever happens, happens. It was a great race,” she said.
Jamaica’s reigning world champion Shericka Jackson withdrew from Sunday’s heats due to injury, adding to the drama of the event.
The Paris 2024 Olympics have showcased the extraordinary talents of Black female athletes, with Gabby Thomas’s triumph standing out as a historic moment in the world of athletics.
