Thomas will be looking for her third overall medal and first gold medal next month.
Boston, MA (July 22, 2024) – Gabby Thomas (Harvard ‘19) clinched her second consecutive Olympic berth after winning the 200m final with a time of 21.81 on Saturday, June 29. Brittany Brown and McKenzie Long will join her in Paris for the event. Thomas, racing in lane eight, was dominant throughout the race, winning one of the most star-studded finals of the Olympic Trials. She entered the finals as the top seed after a blazing 21.78 time in her semifinal heat, recording a world-best for the season. Thomas will look for her first gold medal in Paris after securing two medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She won a silver and bronze medal during the Tokyo Olympics. The silver medal came in the 4 x 100m relay while Thomas secured a bronze in the 200m.
Jason Saretsky, the director of track and field and cross country at Harvard University, coached Thomas for her entire Harvard career. Saretsky has enjoyed watching Thomas grow into one of the world’s premier sprinters. “It has been awesome to see Gabby continue to progress and develop into one of the world’s greatest sprinters,” Saretsky said. Thomas was a standout member of the Harvard Women’s Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field teams from 2015-2018.
At Harvard she won 22 conference titles across six different events during her time at Harvard. Thomas won the Indoor 200m National Championship in 2018, becoming the first sprint champion in Ivy League history. Saretsky thinks that Thomas is a perfect representation of what it means to be an athlete in the Harvard Track and Field program. There is no better example of the precedent that has been set than the three other Harvard track and field athletes who will be joining her in Paris.
Stephanie Ratcliffe graduated in 2023 and will compete in the hammer throw for Team Australia. Maia Ramsden, a recent 2024 graduate and 3x National Champion, will be compete in the 1500m for Team New Zealand. On the men’s side, senior Graham Blanks will be competing for Team USA in the 5000m. “She is an inspiration to so many and embodies our program’s philosophy of academic and athletic excellence,” Saretsky said. “And to see her joined in Paris by three other Harvard T&F current and former team members is a testament to the example she has set for our program.”
Thomas would finish her career with seven All-American nominations and a Bowerman semifinalist in her junior year before giving up her final year of college eligibility to begin her professional career. She graduated in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in Neurobiology, Global Health, and Health Policy. Thomas’ quest for gold will begin Aug. 4, at 10:55 A.M. The final will be Aug. 6, at 9:40 P.M. All races will be streamed live on NBC and Peacock. To keep up to date with all the happenings in the NEICAAA, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and X!
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