It has been years of Gabby Thomas knocking on the door of the 11-second barrier in the 100m, only for it to slip away at the line. From her 11.00 at the 2021 Olympic Trials to multiple wind-aided 10.80s in 2022, every season carried the same feeling of “almost there.” At the 2026 Texas Relays, it looked like the breakthrough had finally come. She even celebrated across the line, only to see 11.00 flash on the clock again. Disappointment struck once more. But on April 26, things finally turned in her favor.

At the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in Gaborone, Thomas finally broke the barrier, clocking a wind-legal personal best of 10.95 seconds (-0.4). She was the only athlete in the field to dip under 11 seconds. Behind her, Cambrea Sturgis finished in 11.07, Audrey Leduc ran 11.10, and Maia McCoy posted 11.13.

And once Thomas saw the clock, she broke into a smile and waved to the crowd, a release that reflected years of near misses finally lifting. After the race, she said, “To run like this in April and not run my PBs and still feel healthy and I have more in the tank is really exciting.”

Just two days earlier at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, Thomas had come close again, running 11.01 into a -1.1 m/s headwind. She also delivered one of the strongest performances of her season there, winning the 200m in 21.89 seconds, which stood as the world lead for 2026.

Her African tour also included a stop in Addis Ababa, where tough conditions and strong headwinds held her to 11.13 in the 100m. The pattern remained consistent. She kept winning, but the sub-11 barrier stayed just out of reach until Gaborone. Now, with that milestone behind her, Thomas’s direction for 2026 looks slightly different.

Gabby Thomas targets 400m step-up in off-year ahead of LA 2028 build-up

Instead of focusing only on the shorter sprints, Thomas plans to run the 400m more often this season. That move puts her in range of athletes like Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and other elite 400m runners, even if the field continues to evolve.

With 2026 serving as an off-year, she views it as the perfect window to expand her range. “And we have an off-year, so I think it’s a great opportunity to see what I’m capable of and just take on a new challenge,” she said. The move is not new. In 2025, she ran a personal best of 49.14 seconds in Kingston, finishing behind Olympic silver medalist Salwa Eid Naser. That time placed her among the top 25 fastest women ever at the distance.

She had already shown that range in 2023 with a 49.68 run, and her endurance has long been evident. While she is best known as a 200m specialist, her relay success highlights that strength, including three gold medals at the Paris Olympics across the 200m, 4x100m, and 4x400m.

With 2026 offering a lighter global schedule before preparation for LA 2028 intensifies, she is expected to use this season for development, with bigger meets like the World Athletics Ultimate Championships later in the year.

As she looks ahead, it is clear her career is entering a new phase. “I’ve done two Olympics now, and we’re gearing up for LA 2028,” she said. “I want to start thinking about the legacy I want to leave, giving back, leaving the world better than you found it, especially for communities that need it most.”

Breaking 11 seconds was a personal milestone, but 2026 is shaping into something bigger. It is a season of experimentation that could redefine her range before the push toward LA 2028.