Florence’s Gabby Thomas eyes big showing in 200 meters at 2023 World Athletics Championships in Hungary

A hamstring injury derailed her 2022 hopes for a Worlds’ championship medal, but Gabby Thomas has come back with a vengeance during the 2023 season. 

After winning gold in the 200-meter dash at the United States Track and Field Championships with a world lead time of 21.60 seconds, the Florence native earned one of three qualifying spots for the 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary. 

She’s looking for her first Worlds’ medal in her career. Thomas earned a bronze in the 200 dash and a silver as the anchor of the 4x100-meter relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were held in the summer of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But though she’s shown she can compete on the international level, her injury two weeks before the 2022 U.S. Track and Field championships prevented her from competing at last year’s World Championships. 

Thomas will compete in the 200 at the this week’s event. The qualifying heats will air live on USA Network and Peacock on Wednesday, Aug. 23 at 6:05 a.m. ET. If she advances through the qualifying heats, Thomas will run in the semifinals (USA Network and Peacock) on Aug. 24 at 1:45 p.m. ET. The 200 final will be on Aug. 25 (USA Network and Peacock) at 3:40 p.m. ET.

Before her individual event, she’ll also be a part of Team USA’s 4x400 mixed relay team on Saturday morning at 5:05 a.m. ET (CNBC, Peacock). If the 4x400 team finishes in the top three in their heat, or has one of the next two fastest times between the two heats, they’ll advance to the 4x400 finals, which will be the same day at 3:49 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock).

Thomas competed in the Diamond League meet in Monaco on July 21, though she struggled during that meet, posting a time of 22.67 and placing seventh. She posted on her Instagram after the race that she “Did not perform my best on the track, but won’t make the same mistakes again, so just going to move forward in preparation for the World Championships.” 

Hannah Bevis can be reached at hbevis@gazettenet.com. Follow her on Twitter @Hannah_Bevis1.]]>