Gabby Thomas upgraded her Tokyo bronze to gold in Paris, winning the 2024 Olympic title in 21.83 (-0.6m/s) in a race that went largely to the form book.

The coolness with which Thomas dealt with the pressure and expectation of being the pre-event favourite was reflected in her smooth sprinting style as she pulled clear effortlessly of 100m champion Julien Alfred down the home straight.

Thomas, running in lane seven, came off the bend level with Alfred in lane eight and Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith in lane four. By the time she reached the finish line, Thomas was two metres clear of Alfred, who took silver – doubling St Lucia’s all-time Olympic medal count – in 22.07, then there was a photo finish for the next four positions.

After a brief wait, USA’s Brittany Brown was confirmed as the bronze medallist in 22.20. Asher-Smith, the 2019 world champion, narrowly missed the podium with a 22.22 clocking, 0.01 ahead of teammate Daryll Neita. Nigeria’s Favour Ofili was a further 0.01 behind in sixth.

Only one other US woman – 2004 champion Allyson Felix – has won the Olympic 200m title in the past 28 years.

Thomas now has a full set of global medals, having earned bronze at the last Olympics and silver at the 2023 World Championships.

“I’m really in disbelief because having an Olympic gold medal is something in my wildest dreams,” said Thomas. “But at the same time, I know how hard I’ve fought for it.

“But when I walked out in this stadium and I knew I had all my friends and family here, I just knew that I had it,” she added. “It was a confidence that you can’t really describe. Of course, there was pressure, but I felt confident.

"This has been six years in the making – head down, working hard, going to really hard meets, pushing yourself, and now it’s here and I’ve done it. This is the happiest moment of my life.”