PARIS, France (August 5, 2024) – Howard College standout Jessika Gbai, representing the Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast),reached the ultimate spherical on the 2024 Summer season Olympics in Paris, France, working a brand new private finest (22.36) within the 200-meter sprint.
Regardless of ending third in her warmth, the previous All-American ran one of many quickest non-automatic qualifying instances, edging out France’s Helene Parisot private finest (22.55).
USA’s Gabrielle Thomas registered the quickest time within the semi-final spherical, producing a 21.86.
Tuesday’s (Aug. 6) closing is scheduled for 3:40 p.m. (ET) / 9:40 p.m. CEST (Central European Summer season Time).
Jessika Gbai had a outstanding monitor and area profession at Howard College, making vital strides on each nationwide and worldwide phases. A standout sprinter, Gbai specialised within the 200m and 100m occasions, persistently acting at a excessive degree. Throughout her tenure, she performed a pivotal function in Howard’s ladies’s monitor workforce’s resurgence, contributing to their historic sweep of the MEAC indoor and outside championships in 2022, ending a drought that lasted over 40 years.
Gbai’s achievements prolonged past collegiate athletics. She represented Côte d’Ivoire in worldwide competitions, together with the World Relays Championships, the place her workforce certified for the Paris Olympics. This accomplishment underscored her versatility and dedication to excellence on the monitor. Moreover, Gbai was a part of Howard’s record-setting 4x400m relay workforce, which not solely set a brand new faculty benchmark but additionally competed on the NCAA Championships, additional solidifying her legacy at Howard.
Her journey from a highschool athlete in Philadelphia to an Olympian and a key determine in Howard’s monitor success story exemplifies dedication and talent, marking her as a distinguished determine in HBCU athletics and a supply of inspiration for future athletes.
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