Harvard senior sprinter Gabrielle Thomas placed second in the 200-meter dash in the prestigious IAAF Diamond League meet in London, Sunday afternoon.
The Florence native charged late and finished in 22.19 seconds in her signature event.
“That was a fast race, it was really exciting,” Thomas told gocrimson.com. “It was obviously a really stacked heat, which is something I am not really used to, so it was a good experience. I am pretty happy with how it went.”
World championships silver medalist Jenna Prandini, of the United States, won the 200 in a personal best 22.16 seconds. Olympic silver medalist Shericka Jackson, of Jamaica, was third in 22.22.
The field included Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, an Olympic bronze medalist, and Olympic silver medalist and world champion Dafne Schippers, of the Netherlands.
“It was an incredibly talented field so it was about who was prepared mentally enough for the finish,” Thomas told gocrimson.com. “It has been an amazing experience and I am so grateful. All the professionals have been so helpful. I am so thankful for this experience.”
Thomas competed in the Gala Dei Castelli meet in Bellinzona, Switzerland last week. She placed fourth in the “A” heat of the 100 in 11.24. Two weeks ago, Thomas won the 200 at the IAAF Diamond League Athletissima meet, held at the Stade de la Pontaise in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Thomas’ summer success has been an extension of her collegiate season.
The USTFCCCA Northeast Women’s Track Athlete of the Year ran school-record times of 11.19 and 22.32 this spring, along with wind-aided times of 10.99 and 22.13. A USTFCCCA First Team All-American in the 200 meters, Thomas placed second at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 200, her best career finish at the national meet.
The Williston-Northampton graduate became the first Ivy League women’s sprinter to win an indoor national championship in the 200 meters, setting a collegiate record with her 22.38 mark in the NCAA Division Indoor Track and Field Championships at Texas A&M.