The Epitome of the Perfect Daughter... Harvard Graduate Who Won Gold in Track and Field [Paris Olympics]

Thomas wins women's 200m in 21.83 seconds
'World's fastest biologist'
First Harvard graduate to win track gold
Immediately after crossing finish line: "I did it"

A ‘perfect daughter’ emerged at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Gabriel Thomas is cheering after being the first to cross the finish line in the women's 200m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics athletics event. [Paris=AFP·Yonhap News]

She excels in both academics and sports. Gabriel Thomas (USA), known as the ‘fastest biologist in the world,’ became the first Harvard graduate to earn the title of ‘Olympic track and field gold medalist.’ On the 6th (local time), she was the first to cross the finish line in the women's 200m final at the Stade de France in Paris, France, with a time of 21.83 seconds.

According to MyInfo, the official information site of the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee, Thomas is the first Harvard graduate to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field. James Connolly won the men's triple jump at the 1896 Athens Olympics while enrolled at Harvard University but did not graduate.

Thomas majored in neurobiology and global health at Harvard University, earning her bachelor's degree in 2019. In 2023, she obtained a master's degree in public health from the University of Texas Health Science Center. Her thesis topic was ‘racial disparities in sleep disorders and evaluates sleep epidemiology among Black Americans.’

While competing as an athlete, she also works 10 hours a week at a health clinic in Austin, Texas. After the Paris Olympics, she plans to pursue a doctoral degree. Thomas chose her major after observing her younger brother with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and her twin siblings receiving treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). During her time at Harvard, she struggled to balance academics and athletics and considered choosing one over the other, but after taking a year off, she regained her energy.

Thomas won the bronze medal in the 200m and the silver medal in the women's 4x400m relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. At the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, she placed second in the 200m and won the women's 4x400m relay, gaining a sense of accomplishment. Entering Paris as a ‘favorite to win the women's 200m,’ she ultimately achieved her dream of winning Olympic gold. After securing first place, Thomas shouted with a face full of emotion, "I did it."