IT WAS HER TURN. After winning bronze in Tokyo and silver at last year’s World Championships, Gabby Thomas at last had her chance to grab the golden ring with a dominating victory in the 200.
Absent were the women who beat her in Japan: Elaine Thompson-Herah done in by injury, Christine Mboma by WA’s gender guidelines. Also missing was the woman who won the past two World titles, Shericka Jackson, who has struggled this season and withdrew days earlier.
Not that Thomas lacked for challengers. After Julien Alfred dominated the rain-swept 100 in 10.71, the Saint Lucian needed to be considered a major threat. In addition, Thomas’s teammates McKenzie Long and Brittany Brown had also broken 22 this season.
Thomas sailed through Sunday’s heats with the fastest time, 22.20. Next was Nigeria’s Favour Ofili, who might have been a factor in the 100 but was undone when her federation failed to enter her. She ran 22.24 to win her heat, ahead of the 22.28 of ’22 Worlds bronze medalist Dina Asher-Smith of Britain.
In the semis on Monday, Alfred showed she was ready, with a 21.98–22.05 win over Ofili. Long’s 22.30 in 3rd would be one of the time qualifiers. In semi II, Thomas made a statement with a huge win over Asher-Smith, 21.86–22.31. Brittany Brown took the third race in 22.12.
That set the stage for the Tuesday night final. In contrast to the 100, conditions were perfect. When the lights came up in the stadium after the laser show introduction, Thomas stood ready in lane 7, with Alfred in 8 and Ofili in 9. To her left, Brown had corridor 6, Britain’s Daryll Neita 5 and Asher-Smith 4.
Alfred reacted best to the gun and indeed carried the lead into the first 30m of the turn, with Asher-Smith also out well and Thomas running 3rd. Asher-Smith started to pull ahead at 40 and it wasn’t until the end of the turn that Thomas found enough momentum to take the lead. She emerged on the stretch with such speed that the question became by just how much she would win. At 100 she led with an 11.10, followed by Asher-Smith (11.15), Brown (11.18) and Alfred (11.20).
Alfred hit a new gear on the straight and blew past Brown and Asher-Smith; she chased hard but could not eat into Thomas’s margin. Behind them, Brown and the two Brits engaged in heated battle for the final podium spot.
Thomas streaked smoothly across the line, taking her first gold in 21.83. Alfred finished in 22.08 for silver and Brown won the battle for bronze in 22.20, with Asher-Smith at 22.22 and Neita at 22.23.
“I don’t think it could have gone any better,” said Thomas, 27. “My coach told me before I got out there, that the only thing I need to do is get the lead. Get the lead, and then finish strong. I did that, and I couldn’t tell you where my competitors were in that race because I blacked out and when I crossed the line, that’s the only thing I remember.
“It feels incredible. I feel like I’ve worked very hard, and everything has been a part of the plan. I’ve envisioned this race over and over in my head so many times, as I do with every race, and that’s how I win races. But I did not expect to feel how I felt when I crossed that line. You prepare for this moment, and you train so hard for this moment, but when it actually comes, it’s indescribable.”
WOMEN’S 200 RESULTS
FINAL (August 06; wind –0.6)
(temperature 77F/25C; humidity 58%)
1. Gabby Thomas (US) 21.83
(6.18, 11.10, 16.28) (11.10/10.73);
2. Julien Alfred (StL) 22.08
(6.18, 11.20, 16.44) (11.20/10.88);
3. Brittany Brown (US) 22.20
(6.21, 11.18, 16.49) (11.18/11.02);
4. Dina Asher-Smith (GB) 22.22
(6.16, 11.15, 16.46) (11.15/11.07);
5. Daryll Neita (GB) 22.23
(6.27, 11.24, 16.50) (11.24/10.99);
6. Favour Ofili (Ngr) 22.24
(6.25, 11.23, 16.54) (11.23/11.01);
7. McKenzie Long (US) 22.42
(6.32, 11.38, 16.71) (11.38/11.04);
8. Jessika Gbai (CI) 22.70
(6.37, 11.54, 16.95) (11.54/11.16).
(lanes: 2. Long; 3. Gbai; 4. Asher-Smith; 5. Neita; 6. Brown; 7. Thomas; 8. Alfred; 9. Ofili)
(reaction times: 0.136 Alfred, 0.143 Neita, 0.144 Asher-Smith & Ofili, 0.162 Gbai, 0.164 Long, 0.165 Thomas, 0.173 Brown)
HEATS (August 04)
I(1.4)–1. Alfred 22.41; 2. Gemima Joseph (Fra) 22.72; 3. Julia Henriksson (Swe) 22.79 NR; 4. Torrie Lewis (Aus) 22.89 PR; 5. Lorène Dorcas Bazolo (Por) 23.10; 6. Léonie Pointet (Swi) 23.42; 7. Olga Safronova (Kaz) 23.58.
II(0.0)–1. Thomas 22.20; 2. Niesha Burgher (Jam) 22.54; 3. Mujinga Kambundji (Swi) 22.75; 4. Jacqueline Madogo (Can) 22.78 PR; 5. Gabriela Anahí Suárez (Ecu) 23.33; 6. Dalia Kaddari (Ita) 23.49; 7. Cecilia Tamayo (Mex) 23.65.
III(0.0)–1. Neita 22.39; 2. Tasa Jiya (Neth) 22.74; 3. Helene Parisot (Fra) 22.99; 4. Nicole Caicedo (Ecu) 23.18; 5. Nora Lindahl (Swe) 23.33; 6. Martyna Kotwiła (Pol) 23.43; 7. Anna Bongiorni (Ita) 23.49.
IV(0.0)–1. Long 22.55; 2. Gbai 22.61; 3. Audrey Leduc (Can) 22.88; 4. Jael Bestue (Spa) 23.17; 5. Krystsina Tsimanouskaya (Pol) 23.30; 6. Mia Gross (Aus) 23.36; 7. Aimará Nazareno (Ecu) 23.52; 8. Lorraine Martins (Bra) 23.68.
V(0.2)–1. Brown 22.38; 2. Lanae-Tava Thomas (Jam) 22.70; 3. Bianca Williams (GB) 22.77; 4. Poliníki Emmanouilídou (Gre) 23.06; 5. Olivia Fotopoulou (Cyp) 23.07; 6. Boglárka Takács (Hun) 23.16; 7. Imke Vervaet (Bel) 23.20; 8. Shanti Veronica Pereira (SGP) 23.21.
VI(0.5)–1. Ofili 22.24; 2. Asher-Smith 22.28; 3. Gina Bass (Gam) 22.84; 4. Maboundou Koné (CI) 22.87; 5. Adaejah Hodge (BVI) 23.00; 6. Ida Kathrine Karstoft (Den) 23.01; 7. Yuting Li (Chn) 23.31; 8. Ana Carolina Azevedo (Bra) 23.37.
REPECHAGE (August 05)
I(0.6)–1. Madogo 22.58 PR; 2. Hodge 22.94; 3. Emmanouilídou 22.99; 4. Bazolo 23.08; 5. Nazareno 23.35; 6. Azevedo 23.44; 7. Pereira 23.45.
II(0.6)–1. Koné 22.89; 2. Takács 23.05; 3. Li 23.24; 4. Kotwiła 23.50; 5. Suárez 23.54; 6. Martins 23.82.
III(-0.4)–1. Fotopoulou 22.92; 2. Tsimanouskaya 23.01; 3. Caicedo 23.04; 4. Gross 23.34; 5. Tamayo 23.49.
IV(-0.9)–1. Lewis 23.08; 2. Bestue 23.22; 3. Vervaet 23.33; 4. Pointet 23.37; 5. Lindahl 23.51; 6. Safronova 23.70.
SEMIS (August 05)
I(0.0)–1. Alfred 21.98; 2. Ofili 22.05; 3. Long 22.30; 4. Williams 22.58; 5. Koné 22.65; 6. Leduc 22.68; 7. Joseph 22.69; 8. Hodge 22.70.
II(0.2)–1. Thomas 21.86; 2. Asher-Smith 22.31; 3. Parisot 22.55 PR; 4. Kambundji 22.63; 5. Burgher 22.64; 6. Jiya 22.81; 7. Madogo 22.81; 8. Emmanouilídou 23.18.
III(0.1)–1. Brown 22.12; 2. Neita 22.24; 3. Gbai 22.36 PR; 4. Bass 22.66; 5. Thomas 22.77; 6. Henriksson 22.88; 7. Lewis 22.92; 8. Fotopoulou 22.98.
