PARIS, France — Gabby Thomas is America's latest gilded-in-gold sprinter, after winning the 200m event at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday night.
Reflecting on her victory on Wednesday in an interview with 11Alive's Cheryl Preheim in Paris, Thomas described the moments she knew she had won.
"I walk into each race kind of thinking (I can win), and telling myself that this is my race and having that confidence. I realized it a few moments, a few meters before the finish line, that I was like 'Okay, this is my race, I actually did do this,'" she said. "And immediately so many emotions came flooding in."
Thomas, who was born in Atlanta and attended elementary school at Pace Academy before her family moved to Massachusetts, finished in 21.83 seconds -- 0.25 seconds ahead of Saint Lucia's Julien Alfred, who earlier in Paris won the 100m.
Thomas said there was "nothing that can prepare you for that moment," before the race, "when you're walking out and you see and hear everybody cheering for you." And after crossing the finish line, she described getting to hoist the American flag victoriously.
"Nothing like getting that flag after you've crossed the line, you see the coach right there with it and like everyone's going crazy, and America is watching, and it's just such an amazing moment," Thomas said.
Thomas still has relays to compete in at the Paris Olympics -- and possibly more medals to be won -- but, at least briefly, she said she was going to "let myself enjoy this moment."
"For now I'm really excited about this gold medal and I'm still working towards a couple more," she said.