So many Olympic sports provide scenes and sounds that are unique to their competitions, but for my money, there isn’t a single Olympics setting more powerful than a packed open-air stadium roaring to the heavens over the most basic, timeless and elemental human competition: a foot race.
On Tuesday at Stade de France, the world was treated to some incredible theater.
And after multiple good-not-great Olympic cycles in track, here’s a refreshing change of pace: The United States is running toward one of its strongest showings in ever in the sport at an Olympics.
Heading into Wednesday, the U.S. now owns five golds in track at the 2024 Games; no other country has more than two. (And more are almost definitely sure to come for the red, white and blue.) The United States’ pace was punctuated with a pair of powerful races Tuesday, when Gabby Thomas and Cole Hocker ran two different kind of sprints to two different kinds of dramatic results.
They both took gold.
Thomas seemed to semi-surprise herself, while Hocker effectively shocked the entire track world.
Let’s start with Thomas, a 200-meter sprint specialist who made a laugher of her race and became a star in the less than 22 seconds it took for her to dash to first. Before Thomas bolted into history, there was looming curiosity whether Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred, who won the 100 meters on Saturday in thrilling fashion, would be able to pull off the ever-coveted “double” and take the 200 as well.
Not a chance.
Thomas, who was the bronze medal winner in the 200 in Tokyo’s Games three years ago, had no rival here. (It must be added: Due in part to Jamaica’s Sherika Jackson removing herself from competition earlier in the week.) With one less challenger, the race opened up all the more for Thomas. This 27-year-old Harvard grad with a killer kick came flying off the turn and then engaged the rocket boosters as she curled toward the final 100 meters, leaving her competitors — and all potential drama — behind her.
Thomas crossed in 21.83 seconds (not even a personal best), then lifted her arms in some disbelief/joy/jubilation as she moved about the track after finishing first. Whatever the stew of emotions, they were all triggered by dynamite sprinting from an athlete still competing at the peak of her powers.
Alfred won silver at 22.08, and another American, Brittany Brown, flashed in 22.20 to take the bronze. For just the third time in history, two American women medaled in the 200.
Thomas’ run was so smooth, you couldn’t help but wonder why she didn’t give the 100 a go as well in Paris, but it’s vital to remember that running the 100 is considered a much different task than running the 200. Regardless, she’s the best in the world at 200, and Stade de France stood in awe of her fine-tuned prowess. Thomas, who also works in public health, is a symbol of all-around American excellence. In a loaded field of laudable athletes, she shines with the best of them.
And with this gold, Thomas joins the likes of Allyson Felix and Florence Griffith Joyner and all of the great female American track athletes in history. Not bad for a woman who, as a girl, had to be nudged into running by her mother.
Here’s the scope on what Thomas pulled off Tuesday: It had been 12 years since an American won gold in the 200 (Felix at the London Games). Now the United States is favored to sweep the event; Noah Lyles will lace ’em up and sprint for immortality Thursday night. And on that note, consider this: The United States hadn’t taken gold in a sprinting event (100 and/or 200) in the Olympics by its men’s and women’s teams since 1996, when Gail Devers and Michael Johnson accomplished the feat.
After years of Jamaica borderline-dominating the sprinting game on the global stage, the United States’ best have restored much of the glory — and that’s taking into consideration that Sha’Carri Richardson proudly won silver in the 100, instead of the gold many were expecting.
Thomas’ gold came an hour removed from another Team USA runner, Hocker, who pulled off one of the upsets of these Olympics.
The 1,500-meter race was considered a duel between vocal rivals Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Great Britain’s Josh Kerr. And sure enough, those two were jostling and pushing and striving for the advantage as they curled around the final bend, utter exertion the final 150 meters. Ingebrigtsen even blocked Hocker’s push for the inside, before floating to his right to return his attention to Kerr.
Patiently, Hocker — who avoided the clash — found his line, kept his stride, then kicked into a gear that pushed him past the best in the world at the near-mile-long run.
Now, after the run of his life, Hocker’s the best. And his gold medal-winning time of 3:27.65 is an Olympic record. So shocking was Hocker’s run, he beat his personal best by more than three seconds. Ingebrigtsen and Kerr are superstars in the track world, having risen to prominence for their reliable speed in the 1,500.
But it matters most on the Olympic stage. Few endings at these Games can compete with what Hocker brought into existence. He made up serious ground in the final 300 meters, improving from fifth to first, where the closing kick is so crucial to finish for a medal.
These moments can fuel athletes to tap into a level they might not even realize is within them. And so Hocker did on Tuesday. This is instantly legendary in track circles.
Kerr (3:27.79) took the silver. Ingebrigtsen, somehow, didn’t even medal. The Norwegian was caught by another Team USA member, Yared Nuguse, who got to the line 3:27.80, barely beaten by Kerr. It had been 112 years since the U.S. had two top-three finishers in the 1,500.
Despite the shocking nature of the end, Hocker said this to the media afteward: “This may be an upset to a lot of people, but if you’ve been following my season, you knew I was capable of it. But still, things had to go my way today.”
Even the Fastest Man in the World shared his support.
What a sweet moment for American men’s track.
Lyles’ week is not done, of course. The 200-meter final comes late Thursday. Lyles’ historic win in the 100 set him up for the 100/200 double which, if it materializes, could build the case for the best track showing the United States has ever had in an Olympics. (And we still have the relay races to come as well this weekend.)
We’ll probably see Thomas in the 4×100 women’s final on Friday and the 4×400 final on Saturday as well. Then there’s Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who is the definition of unbeatable in the 400-meter hurdles. More gold is all but guaranteed for the U.S. at this point.
On Tuesday, it emerged in wowing ways. An incredible moment for American track. Men and women. And it’s not over. More glory awaits, and with it, probably the biggest moment and spotlight on Team USA Track & Field in a generation.
