The Olympics have wrapped up in Paris — and Northampton, Massachusetts, native Gabby Thomas brought home three gold medals in the track and field competition.
Thomas had already won golds in the individual 200 meters and the 4 x 100-meter relay going into Saturday's 4 x 400-meter relay.
In that final event, Thomas and her teammates turned the race into a rout, winning by more than four seconds with a time of 3:15.27. That was just one-tenths of a second off the world record, set by the USSR in 1988.
In EPIC fashion, the U.S. women's 4x400m relay team set an American record to collect GOLD. pic.twitter.com/VyNj1w0UaT
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 11, 2024
Thomas has now earned five medals over the last two Olympics. She won a silver and bronze in the pandemic-delayed 2021 Games in Tokyo.
Thomas joins Worcester’s Stephen Nedoroscik as a multiple medalist from Massachusetts. Nedoroscik, a pommel horse specialist, won a pair of bronze medals in the team and individual gymnastics competitions.
SOUND UP to hear these iconic moments from USA Gymnastics' first medal in men's team all-around since 2008. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/aEDRsNx213
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 12, 2024
'A great sense of pride'
Both Worcester and Northampton are in the congressional district represented by U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, a Worcester Democrat.
"With all the stuff happening in the world, it kind of gets your mind off of all the bad news and you can actually focus on something good," McGovern said on NEPM's The Fabulous 413. "So I congratulate them both and I assume they'll both get a hero's welcome when they come back."
McGovern said in recent days he's been hearing all about the Olympic stars from excited constituents.
"I think we all feel this way — when somebody locally wins, you feel like we're all part of it it, even though we had nothing to do with it, right? And it really is a great sense of pride," he said.
McGovern said he plans to reach out to Thomas and Nedoroscik when they return from the Olympics.
More to come
Up next is the Paralympics, also held in Paris, at the end of the month. Two athletes with western Massachusetts ties are Femita Ayanbeku, an American International College alum, and Easthampton’s Saige Harper.
Ayanbeku, a track competitor, will be competing in her third Paralympics. Harper is making her Paralympics debut in rowing. She attended Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.
The Paralympics take place from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8.
Material from The Fabulous 413 and the Associated Press was used in this report.
