Gabby Thomas has become a standout figure in track and field, not only for her wins but for the way she pushes herself and competes. On April 4, she made her Grand Slam Track & Field debut, running the 100m in style. She breezed through the race, winning and earning 12 points, which was a perfect start. But the competition only heated up as she continued to Kingston on April 5.
On that day, Gabby followed up with a stellar 200m performance, adding another victory to her record. However, it was in the 400m that things took an exciting turn. While she didn’t win the race, finishing second, she achieved a massive personal best time of 49.14, improving her previous record by over half a second from 2019. The winner of the race was Salwa Eid Naser from Bahrain, who ran an incredible time of 48.67, setting a new record for the fastest 400m run before July. Olympic 400m champion Marileidy Paulino finished in third with 49.35. Despite finishing second, Gabby’s effort was remarkable, and she was clearly proud but exhausted, reflecting on how challenging the race had been.
Gabby’s performance in the 400m was especially impressive considering the talent in the field, and she was motivated by the high stakes of the competition. After the race, she shared her thoughts, expressing how tired she was but also proud of how much she had pushed herself. Even without the win, her energy showed that she had given it her all.
Although she didn’t win the 400m race, Gabby still walked away with a significant reward. Normally, second place would earn $50,000, but Gabby’s strategic wins in the 100m and 200m helped her rack up the most points in the Long Sprints group, totaling 20 points. This secured her the Slam Championship title and a $100,000 payday. Gabby expressed that the financial incentive motivated her to push through the challenging races and claimed that she knew the home stretch was crucial to earning the prize.
Gabby’s performance wasn’t the only highlight in Kingston, though. Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi made a splash by dominating the 1500m, easily passing Olympic medalists like Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr, and Yared Nuguse. Wanyonyi’s time of 3:35.18 was impressive, and he’s set to compete again in the 800m.
Kenny Bednarek also had an outstanding performance, winning both the 100m and 200m. Matthew Hudson-Smith clinched the $100,000 Slam title in the Long Sprints group after securing a win in the 200m following a second-place finish in the 400m. In the hurdles, Dylan Beard, who juggles track with a job at Walmart, ran an impressive 13.29 in the 110m hurdles, putting him in the running for a six-figure prize. On the women’s side, Tia Jones took down two Olympic champions in the 100m hurdles, setting a time of 12.63.
Overall, the competition in Kingston was full of thrilling performances, with Gabby Thomas’ strategic brilliance standing out as she redefined what it means to be a champion in track and field.