One may say the eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility – Albert Einstein.
The Olympics were never a goal for Gabrielle Lisa Thomas when she was growing up. Instead, she gravitated towards becoming a doctor and figured Harvard was the perfect place to take the first step.
She went ahead to Harvard to study neurobiology and had her master’s degree in public health with a concentration in epidemiology.
But, today, the 27-year-old tagged as a late broomer is one of the most talked about sprinters in the world as she aims to win gold in the women’s 200m in Paris.
Speaking on why she fell in love with athletics, Dr. Gabby Thomas said:
“It’s really easy to fall in love with running.
“It can be painful at times, but it’s such a beautiful sport. You set goals and go after them in the purest form — and when you achieve those goals, it’s such an addicting feeling.”
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games is going to be her second consecutive Olympics having won bronze medal in her maiden Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
She’ll step on the tracks with the fastest 200 time [21.78 seconds] in the world this year on her head.
Women’s 200m
Final: August 6
Defending champion:
Elaine Thompson-Herah [JAM] 21.53
Olympic record-holder: Florence Griffith Joyner [USA] 21.34, 1988
World champion: Shericka Jackson [JAM] 21.41
World leader: Gabby Thomas [USA] 21.78 seconds.
With the absence of the double-double Olympic sprints champion, Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica and the uncertainty surrounding current 200m world champion – Shericka Jackson’s fitness, the odds highly favours the Northampton [Massachusetts] born sprinter to win the highly competitive event.
Champions, they say die hard, so the world should expect Shericka Jackson to put on her best show regardless of her current struggles. In fact, she cannot be taken out of the equation at this early stage.
Another sprinter Thomas must not take lightly is McKenzie Long [21.83 seconds] of the US. The NCAA double sprint champion is making her major championships debut, but has run her four fastest times in major US domestic events this summer.
If there’s is one last sprinter that Gabby Thomas would not like to play with then it’s none other than Julien Alfred [22.16] from Saint Lucia.
Fourth at the World Championships last year, Alfred ran a world indoor lead of 22.16 seconds in February, then clocked the same time in July.
By James K. Attaglo Wilson
