Remember the name Gabby Thomas when the Tokyo Olympics come âround next month.
Thomas won the womenâs 200-meter dash during Saturdayâs U.S. Olympic trials, clocking in at 21.61 seconds. According to USA Today, not only did she beat her personal best record of 21.94 secondsâwhich was recorded during the 200 meters semifinals on Fridayâbut her time on Saturday is the second-fastest in the history of the event. Florence Griffith-Joyner still holds the record with 21.34 seconds that she ran back in 1988 during the Olympic Games in Seoul.
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If you havenât seen the video of the 24-year-old Thomas doing work, go ahead and take a look, because she K I L L S it.
Besides Thomasâ feat being impressive at face value, itâs also important to note that the Harvard grad did this after dealing with a health scare earlier this year.
From USA Today:
After winning the 200 meters at the Golden Games on May 9, Thomas underwent an MRI to diagnose what had seemed to be a nagging hamstring injury. The results of the MRI revealed a tumor on her liver.
âThe more and more I spoke to people, the more the word âcancerâ was used. I was scared,â Thomas said on social media on June 7.
Thankfully, though, Thomas received news from doctors that the tumor is benign and wonât need to be operated on.
âI am so excited to compete – feeling much lighter with this weight off of my shoulders! One of the greatest gifts in life is our health,â Thomas said prior to the trials on social media.
âI remember telling God, âIf I am healthy, Iâm gonna go out and win trials,â â she said.
Nine-time medalist Allyson Felix also participated in Saturdayâs race and came in fifth place, meaning she didnât qualify to participate in the event in Tokyo.
But weâll still be seeing her run in the womenâs 400 meters during the games. The 2020 games will be the last time that weâll see Felix in action at the Olympics, as she intends to retire before the 2024 Paris Summer Games.
She told NBC during a post-race interview that sheâs going to go out in Tokyo by giving her âabsolute all.â
Between Thomas, Felix, ShaâCarri Richardson, Gwen Berry, and of course, the GOAT Simone Biles, Black women will be leading the charge for Team USA during these here Games of the XXXII Olympiad overseas. You love to see it.
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