The women's 200-meter final was billed as a showdown between the USA's Gabby Thomas and Saint Lucia's Julien Alfred, but Thomas proved Tuesday that no one else is in the same category as her at the moment.
The American sprinter cruised to her first Olympic gold medal, running a 21.83 to easily outpace Alfred and teammate Brittany Brown, who joined her on the podium.
The event was always a prime gold medal opportunity for Thomas with two-time champion Elaine Thompson-Herah out with an Achilles injury. Alfred's rise posed a threat to Thomas' hopes, but the 27-year-old looked like someone who could come back in four years and compete for gold again.
As it turns out, Thomas comes from an impressive background that makes it no surprise she has turned in such a remarkable career on the track. Here's a closer look at Thomas' family.
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Gabby Thomas family tree
Gabby Thomas dad
Thomas' father, Desmond Thomas, enjoyed a football career at Duke University. He had a brief career as a defensive back, appearing in games for the Blue Devils in 1995, and now lives in Chicago.
Desmond is originally from Jamaica, which produced 2016 and 2020 200-meter gold medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah. There were no Jamaican sprinters in the 200-meter final on Tuesday, an unusual circumstance, but the island nation can claim that little piece of pride with Thomas' victory.
Gabby Thomas mom
Thomas' mother, Jennifer Randall, isn't an athlete, but she has had an extremely impressive career in her own field. Randall currently works as the Dunn Family Endowed Professor of Psychometrics and Test Development at the University of Michigan's school of education.
Randall graduated from Emory University with a PhD in 2007 and previously worked as a professor at UMass Amherst.
Thomas said before the Olympics that her mother helped inspire her to work hard for her goals. "I think watching her as I was growing up and how hard she worked, that's impacted me in ways that I probably can't even recognize," she told Olympics.com.
Thomas explained that her mother's fortitude to go from a single mother with little money to someone with a PhD and a successful career in education showed her that "anything is possible."
Randall's work appears to have inspired her daughter in more ways than one. Thomas graduated from Harvard University after studying neurobiology, and she received a master's degree in epidemiology from the University of Texas in 2023 all while training to become an Olympic gold medalist.
MORE: Details on Gabby Thomas' education from Texas, Harvard
Gabby Thomas boyfriend
The accomplishments don't stop there for the Thomas family, even if Thomas' boyfriend isn't officially part of the family. The star sprinter is dating former Yale QB Spencer McManes, with their relationship spanning nearly two years.
McManes didn't see the field much at all with the Bulldogs, but just getting into Yale is an achievement in itself. McManes, who was raised in Georgia, now works for a data privacy software company and recently started his own line of non-alcoholic drinks.
Gabby Thomas siblings
Thomas has a twin brother, Andrew, who works as a graphic designer. She also has three younger siblings named Desi, Tyler and Kim.
Where is Gabby Thomas from?
Thomas was born Dec. 7, 1996 in Atlanta. In 2007, she moved to Florence, Mass., and attended Williston Northampton School, where she became a record-setting track star before attending Harvard.
