On Saturday, May 3, Gabby Thomas delivered an exciting performance at Grand Slam Track Miami, clinching victory in the 200m distance. However, despite her title-winning performance, the American lost out on $100,000 at the competition.
Having been crowned ‘Slam champion’ in the long sprints event group in Kingston last month, Thomas chose to compete in the shorts sprints event group this time around.
On Friday, the American got down to business in the 100m dash, where she clocked a 10.97s. However, the time wasn’t good enough for the field, and Thomas ended up placing fourth. Ahead of her compatriots Melissa Jefferson and Tamari Davis came in first and second with times of 10.75s and 10.79s respectively, while LSU’s Favour Ofili rounded out the top three with a 10.94s.
On Saturday, Thomas returned to the track again, this time for the 200m sprint. As the reigning Olympic champion in the distance, expectations for the 28-year-old were high. Living up to the hype, she clocked a season best of 21.95s for the win, making her the only woman on the field to dip under the 22-second mark. Behind her, Davis ran a 22.05 for second place, while Jefferson clambered into the top three with a 22.15s.
With these results, Gabby Thomas ended her Grand Slam Track Miami campaign with 17 points, while Melissa Jefferson earned 18 points. Consequently, Jefferson denied Thomas the $100,000 prize money that is awarded to Slam champions.
Gabby Thomas ‘disappointed’ with Grand Slam Track Miami performance
In April, Gabby Thomas competed at the inaugural edition of Grand Slam Track in Kingston. Racing the long sprints event group, she registered a win in the 200m and a second-place finish in the 400m to take home the honor of Slam Champion.
However, the American wasn’t able to deliver the same level of performance in Miami. Reflecting on her second Grand Slam Track outing, the Olympic champion told Citius Magazine that she was ‘disappointed’, explaining,
“I’m definitely a little disappointed. I didn’t come with it yesterday and that’s what happens if you don’t bring it each day. But at the end of the day, you can’t be mad when you’re competing against the fastest and the best of the best. So I’ll hold my head up high and I’ll take that with me.”
Gabby Thomas will return to action between May 30 – June 1 for Grand Slam Track Philadelphia. The competition will take place at the famed Franklin Field and it remains to be seen what event group Thomas will choose to participate in.
Edited by Riddhi Acharya
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