Gabby Thomas wins 200m at Olympic trials; Sha’Carri Richardson struggles in fourth-place finish

EUGENE, Ore. �� Gabby Thomas proved the class of a vaunted 200-meter field, winning gold surprisingly comfortably with a time of 21.81 in Saturday’s final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field trials.

Meanwhile, Sha’Carri Richardson’s hopes of a vaunted double at the Paris Olympics were dashed. The American champ in the 100 meters, who dominated her first two heats in the 200, finished fourth with a time of 22.16 seconds. She was sub-22 seconds in the first two heats.

Brittany Brown took second with a personal best time of 21.90. McKenzie Long, the breakout star from the NCAA tournament, took third (21.91) to punch her ticket to Paris.

Thomas, the reigning Olympic bronze medalist in the 200, held a small lead over brown coming out of the turn. Brown, who got a blazing start, was on Thomas’ heels. But the 200-meter excellence of Thomas, who won silver at the World Championships, proved too much. She separated herself in the final 20 meters.

Gabby Thomas puts on a clinic in her signature event!

Wins the #TrackFieldTrials24 200m final in 21.81. pic.twitter.com/9mvNgvt5Ko

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 30, 2024

Thomas, 27, has been America’s best in the 200 meters and is in her prime. She displayed why she’s the USA’s best hope in the 200 against the Jamaicans, most notably Shericka Jackson — the only woman other than Florence Griffith-Joyner to run the 200 in under 21.50 seconds. Jackson posted a 21.41 in the 2023 World Championships.

Thomas’ personal best time is 21.60 seconds, coming at the 2023 USA outdoor championships. The world record is 21.34 seconds set by Flo-Jo in 1988.

Richardson had won six consecutive races entering Saturday. But she faded in the final 20 meters, succumbing to the difficulty of the double. Richardson got a bad start, perhaps influenced by the yellow card she received for a lane violation in the semifinals. She couldn’t catch up against this field and seemed to pull up towards the end.

Richardson winning gold in both the 100 and 200 would’ve made her an instant American legend, especially after missing the Tokyo Olympics thanks to a ban for a positive marijuana test. It certainly felt possible, especially after Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah was scratched from Paris due to injury.

She pulled the 100/200 double in the last two Olympics. Flo-Jo was the last American woman to win the 100 and 200 in 1988.

Richardson could still win two golds, the second being in the 4×100 relay. But winning gold in the 100, a premier event, would still vault her into superstar status. She’s already one of the most recognizable track stars.

Winning gold on the Olympic stage would solidify her status, which is important for a sport looking to generate momentum in America heading into the LA Games in 2028.

But Richardson losing the 200 underscores the depth of the American women sprinters. She was the prodigy tasked with ending the dominance of Jamaica. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price and Thompson-Herah have headlined Jamaica’s stranglehold on sprints.

Richardson put the world on notice when she beat them in the 2023 World Championships. Richardson is still the headliner for USA women, along with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, but Thomas could join them as a superstar.

A gold for Thomas in the 200 instantly vaults her to a new level. She also runs in the 4×100 relay so she could come away with two gold medals.

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(Photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)