American Gabrielle Lisa Thomas stormed to gold in 200m at the ongoing Olympics in Paris, going according to the pre-final script.
She finished in 21.83s ahead of St Lucian Julien Alfred, who had stunned all to win the 100m a couple of days earlier.
The American, who holds an MA in Epidemiology from the University of Texas, had won Bronze at Tokyo 2020.
She had also settled for Silver at last year’s World Athletics Championships.
With the withdrawal of pre-Games favourite Shericka Jackson, the bookmakers tipped her to win until Alfred stormed to that 100m win.
She breezed to the final in 21.86s, way ahead of defending champion Dina Asher-Smith, who trailed in 22.31s.
Alfred had won her semi-final race in 21.98s.
“I’ve envisioned this race over and over in my head so many times, as I do with every race, and that’s how I win races,” said Thomas after her win on Tuesday, August 6.
“But I did not expect to feel how I felt when I crossed that line.
“I couldn’t believe it. I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams that I would become an Olympic gold medallist. It was the happiest moment of my life.”
Alfred came second in 22.08s while American Brittany Brown won Bronze in 22.20s.
Thomas, who wins the title for the USA for the first time since Allyson Felix in 2012, will be back for her nation in the 4x100m relay.
