PARIS – Former Harvard track & field student-athlete
Gabby Thomas '19 orchestrated an unforgettable chapter in both her stellar career and the storied history of American track & field, as the Northampton, Massachusetts native won the first Olympic Gold Medal of her career in the 200m.
At just the age of 27, Thomas is now a three-time Olympic medalist, as she adds her gold medal in the 200m at Paris to a bronze medal in the 200m and a silver medal in the 4x100m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Thomas is the first female student-athlete in program history to win a gold medal in track & field competition at the Olympics, as she joins
Lisa Tertsch '21 as the only female gold medalists in all Olympic competition in program history.
Heading into the final, Thomas owned the top-times in the first round (22.20) and the semifinal (21.86). Thomas got off to an incredible start, as she took over first place after the turn. Down the straightaway, Thomas cruised, as she posted a time of 21.83, the only athlete in the field to run sub-22 seconds. The American champion in the 200m, Thomas owns the fastest 200m in the world this year (21.78).
The 2018 NCAA National Champion in the indoor 200m, Thomas is the first American to win gold in the women's 200m at the Olympics since Allyson Felix did so at the 2012 London Olympics. Thomas joins Felix, Gwen Torrence, Florence Griffith-Joyner, Valerie Brisco-Hooks, Edith McGuire, and Wilma Rudolph as the only Americans to win gold in the women's 200m at the Olympics.
On Thursday, Aug. 8, Thomas will return to the Stade de France with Team USA for the women's 4x100m first round at 5:10 a.m. eastern standard time.
In the morning portion of competition,
Maia Ramsden '24 made her Olympic debut with Team New Zealand in the women's 1500m first round. Running in a competitive second heat, Ramsden crossed the finish line at 4:02.83, as she clinched a spot in Thursday's semifinal with an incredible effort in the last 50m of the race.
A finalist for The Bowerman and a three-time NCAA national champion, Ramsden's time in the 1500m at the 2024 Paris Olympics was just shy of surpassing her personal-best of 4:02.58 at the USATF LA Grand Prix earlier this year. The 1500m semifinals take place at 1:35 p.m. eastern standard time on Thursday, Aug. 8 and will air live on NBC.
UP NEXT:
Rising senior
Graham Blanks will line up at the 2024 Paris Olympics with Team USA for the first time tomorrow, as the reigning NCAA Men's Cross Country National Champion will run in the 5000m First Round. The race begins at 5:10 a.m. EST as Crimson fans can watch the run live on USA Network and Peacock.
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