Top 3 USA track and field athletes who won most gold medals at Paris Olympics ft. Gabby Thomas
Gabby Thomas and Sydney McLaughlin Levrone were among the many American athletes that won multiple gold medals throughout the Paris Olympics. The United States are currently second in the medal tally with 122 medals to their name, 38 of which are gold.
The Paris Olympics 2024 have almost reached their conclusion, and all the athletes have delivered their best performances. Some of the American athletes, such as Gabby Thomas from the track and field community, have grabbed attention with their medal counts at the 2024 Summer Games.
Let's dive in deep to know about the top 3 American athletes who have clinched the most gold medals at the Paris Olympics.
#3. Rai Benjamin
Rai Benjamin is an American hurdler and sprinter who recently solidified his place as an athlete at the Paris Olympics with his incredible wins. He has won a total of two gold medals in the event. The 27-year-old's first gold medal was in the men's 400m hurdles, where he trounced one of his arch-rivals, Karston Warholm.
The American clocked a time of 46.46s and stood atop the podium, while Warholm nabbed a silver after recording a time of 47.06s. Brazilian athlete Alison dos Santos took home bronze with a time of 47.26s.
Following this medal, Benjamin added another feather to his hat by clinching another gold in the 4x400m relay. He and his team, which included Christopher Bailey, Bryce Deadmon, and Vernon Norwood, set up one of the fastest relays in history by setting a new Olympic record of 2:54.43.
Benjamin ran the final leg and clocked 43.18 seconds, with only Letsile Tebogo and Matthew Hudson-Smith running quicker than him throughout the entire race.
#2. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once again stole the spotlight at the Olympics by winning two gold medals at the 2024 Summer Games. She solidified her place as a 400m hurdler by gracefully defending her title in the event in Paris.
McLaughlin-Levrone delivered a stellar performance by clocking a world record of 50.37s and defeating one of her biggest competitors in the event, Femke Bol, who clocked 52.15s and claimed third place. While second place was secured by Anna Cockrell, who clocked 51.87s.
The second gold secured by McLaughlin-Levrone at the Paris Olympics was in the 4x400m relay race. She and her team, which included Gabby Thomas, Shamier Little, and Alexis Holmes, finished the race by registering a time of 3:15.27. In this, the 25-year-old helped her team immensely by running her lap in 47.70s and then passing the baton to Gabby Thomas.
The team surpassed the American record, which was set in Seoul in 1998, and trounced the Netherlands, who secured second place with a time of 3:19.50, and third place was claimed by Great Britain, who recorded 3:19.72.
#1. Gabby Thomas
Gabby Thomas topped the medal count in the track and field community by winning three gold medals with her impressive performances in the events. She won her first gold in the 200m dash, where she clocked a time of 21.83s and bested Julien Alfred and Brittany Brown, who clocked a time of 22.08s and 22.20s, respectively.
The 27-year-old won two more golds in the 4x100m and the 4x400m relays. In fact, World Athletics called her the "athletics queen of Paris".
"The athletics queen of Paris🥇🥇🥇"
Gabby Thomas and her team, which included Sha'Carri Richardson, Twanisha Terry, and Melissa Jefferson, stood atop the podium in the 4x100m relay race by clocking 41.78s. They bested Great Britain and Germany, who secured second and third place with respective times of 41.85s and 41.97s.
Similarly, Thomas and her team of Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone, Shamier Little, and Alexis Holmes delivered a terrific run in the 4x400m relay. They registered a time of 3:15.27 and surpassed the American record set in 1998. Gabby Thomas took the baton from McLaughlin-Levrone and ran her lap in a blistering time of 49.30s to make sure the United States won the event.