Kicks

New Balance Takes Victory Lap After Gabby Thomas Wins Gold

Gabby Thomas wore New Balance spikes win she won a gold medal in Paris.

Michael Ehrlich

Gabby Thomas in the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp MD-X v3.
Gabby Thomas in the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp MD-X v3. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

American sprinter Gabby Thomas defeated the fastest women in the world on Tuesday at the Paris Olympics to earn the gold medal in the 200-meter final. Wearing the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp MD-X v3 spike, Thomas won her first gold by beating 100-meter gold medalist Julien Alfred with a winning time of 21.83

Thomas is the first American woman to win the 200-meter gold since Allyson Felix in the 2012 Rio Games. She now adds a new medal to her collection of Silver (4x100m relay) and Bronze (200m) from the Tokyo Games. Thomas expected to again compete in the 4x100 relay and potentially the 4x400 as well.

“I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams that I would become an Olympic gold medalist and I am one." Thomas shared with media after her win. "I’m still wrapping my head around that.”

“There’s nothing like walking into a stadium of 80,000 people," Thomas added. "The feeling was incredible. When I crossed the line, it was happiness, joy, pride, disbelief all at once. It was one of the happiest moments of my life.

She continued, “The emotion I felt as I crossed that finish line was a feeling like no other. This win is a testament to how hard I’ve worked over these last four years, and I can’t thank my family, coaches, and sponsors for the support to get me here.”

The Harvard graduate Thomas' footwear sponsor - Boston-based New Balance, headquartered just a few minutes from campus - celebrated the gold medal win on social media.

“We are beyond thrilled for Gabby winning gold in the 200m here in Paris,” said Pete Riley, Head of Running Sports Marketing at New Balance. “Gabby has proven to be a world class athlete and competitor among her many other accomplishments off the track. We’re so proud of her performance tonight and that she’s a part of the New Balance family.”

Alongside fellow American track star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the combination is one of the strongest on the track at the Paris Games.

Prior to the Olympics, Thomas - in collaboration with Reddit co-founder and Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian - announced the upcoming 776 Invitational, a women’s track event in September featuring the largest prize money ever ($60,000 to the winner).

Stay locked into Kicks On SI for all your footwear news from the Paris Olympics and beyond.

Further Reading: Shohei Ohtani's signature New Balance sneakers and apparel are out now.

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Michael Ehrlich
MICHAEL EHRLICH

Michael Ehrlich is a seasoned sports marketing executive with experience across the global sports brand, athlete representation, media and education sides of the business. The Founder and CEO of Playbook Marketing, Ehrlich consults with brands on all things NIL and athlete partnerships, advises student-athletes on their personal brand building endeavors and is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California where he teaches a course on athlete communications and marketing. As a writer, his previous bylines include Boardroom, Business of College Sports, DIME Magazine and UPROXX, among others. You can follow him across social media at @MichaelEhrlich and reach out via michael@playbook-marketing.com

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