In the forefront, Gabby Thomas had already raised her arms in triumph, awash with the realization that she had just become the Olympic champion in the 200m event.
Trailing just a few strides behind her, the newly crowned 100m champion Julien Alfred glided seamlessly across the finish line in second place. Further back, Dina Asher‑Smith, Daryll Neita, and Brittany Brown from the USA were neck and neck in lanes 4, 5, and 6, separated by a mere three hundredths of a second. All three were pushing their limits for that extra millimeter that would secure them the bronze, and it was Brown who ultimately claimed it.
This latest Olympic cycle has once again concluded for the talented British duo without securing individual medals. Neita finished fourth in the 100m and fifth in the 200m, while Asher-Smith failed to advance past the semi-finals in the shorter race and placed fourth in the longer event. Asher-Smith is 28, Neita 27, and the reality is that neither may have a better opportunity for an individual Olympic medal than the one that slipped through their fingers at the Stade de France.
Thomas seemed destined for victory in this race, particularly after Jamaican Shericka Jackson withdrew due to injury before the heats. Jackson is the second-fastest female sprinter in history after Florence Griffith Joyner and one of the few capable of achieving the times Thomas has been showing this season. Thomas’s winning time was 21.83 seconds—somewhat short of her personal best, yet only slightly slower than her fastest time this season.
If only Asher-Smith had managed to edge closer to her 22.07 seconds run in London just last month, let alone her personal best of 21.88 seconds, she might have challenged Alfred for the silver.
Asher-Smith deserved the medal, given her remarkable career background. Yet, in this sport, merit often takes a backseat. She attempted to take the lead in the final, surged through the bend, and was leading after 50 meters, but Thomas ramped up her acceleration as they hit the straightaway, and it became apparent that Asher-Smith was struggling to keep pace. With 50 meters remaining, Alfred surpassed her, and finally, just 10 meters from the finish, Brown overtook her as well.
“I was told to push ahead and just keep going,” Asher-Smith recounted post-race, “and if I falter, I falter.” And indeed, she did. Nevertheless, she managed a smile, expressing pride in her performance, and was genuinely happy for her training partner Alfred.
She displayed an unexpected buoyancy for someone finishing fourth in one of the defining races of their career. “I felt really proud of how I held my own,” she remarked.
Neita echoed similar sentiments, stating, “This has been an incredible Games for me—I’m a double finalist.” Some athletes take delight in making it to finals, while others aim to win; it highlights the transition from being good to becoming great.
And Thomas is great—perhaps too great for her own good. In addition to her Olympic gold medal, the bronze from Tokyo three years prior, and a collection of relay medals, she holds a degree in neurobiology from Harvard and a master’s in epidemiology from the University of Texas. When she’s not competing, training, discussing black representation, or advocating for reforms in her sport, she volunteers at a nonprofit medical facility that provides healthcare to the uninsured. Moreover, she is renowned on the circuit as one of the friendliest individuals around.
However, that doesn’t diminish her competitive edge. Winning so many races requires a fierce spirit. Following her semi-final triumph, she attempted to congratulate Asher-Smith with a friendly tap on the shoulder for qualifying second. Asher-Smith, who later described her performance as “angry,” responded with a few terse words better suited for lip-readers and walked past her. Thomas’s reaction was to flash a playful grin at the camera focused on them.
Racing in the 200m is distinctly different from the 100m. It’s not merely a matter of length; the additional challenge of a bend demands greater stamina and skill from the runner. Victory in the 100m can sometimes be achieved through sheer power, but the 200m requires a blend of speed, technique, and endurance. Successful athletes must be tactically astute and technically flawless, a trait holding true for many of the sport’s legends: Wilma Rudolph, Marie-José Pérec, Frankie Fredericks, Allyson Felix.
Thomas embodies that legacy perfectly. There was a time when you might have expected Asher-Smith to fit into that category as well.
