Gabby Thomas Sets Meet Record and Completes Sprint Double in Nairobi

Gabby Thomas, the reigning Olympic 200-meter champion, delivered a statement performance on Friday night, winning both the 100 meters and 200 meters at the Absa Kip Keino Classic and setting a new meet record in the latter.

Competing at Nyayo National Stadium, Thomas first claimed the 100 meters in 11.01 seconds, narrowly missing her personal best by one-hundredth of a second. Less than an hour later, she returned to the track and surged to victory in the 200 meters in 21.89 seconds, the fastest time recorded globally this season.

The performance erased the previous meet record of 22.07 seconds set in 2023 and underscored Thomas’s growing dominance in the sprint events. Her personal best in the 200 meters remains 21.60.

“I didn’t expect to run that fast,” Thomas said afterward. “Nairobi has been very nice to me. I will definitely come back next year.”

Her double victory echoed her showing at a recent meet in Addis Ababa, where she also won both sprint races. She now turns her attention to the Botswana Golden Grand Prix scheduled for Sunday.

Behind her in the 200 meters, Cambrea Sturgis finished second in a personal-best 21.93, while Kenya’s Millicent Ndoro placed third in 23.21, also a personal best.

In the men’s 200 meters, Sinesipho Dambile of South Africa broke through the 20-second barrier for the first time, winning in 19.77 seconds. Jamaica’s Brian Levell was second in 19.93.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Dambile said. “I wasn’t chasing the time — I just wanted to win.”