Apparently superheroes are eligible for the Olympics because Wonder Woman brought home a medal in Tokyo on Tuesday.
U.S. sprinter Gabby Thomas had her fans comparing her to a comic book icon when she dashed to a bronze medal against a loaded field in the 200-meter final for the latest chapter in her superhero origin story.
With her flowing mane of hair, blazing speed and classic hands-on-hips pose before the race, the 24-year-old dynamo had fans believing that a real-life Wonder Woman is among us.
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"USA’s future in the 200m," one fan tweeted with an edited picture of Thomas in Wonder Woman's outfit.
"I have not seen that," Thomas told Savannah Guthrie on TODAY Wednesday. "I love that. Thank you guys so much, I love my Twitter family."
The Team USA Twitter account shared a photo of Thomas looking like she had just left her mythical home of Themyscira to run a race in Tokyo.
"Wonder. Woman," Team USA wrote. "@ItsGabrielleT brings home the 200m bronze. #TokyoOlympics."
"Gabby Thomas is given me the first Black Wonder Woman vibes," another person tweeted.
Thomas may be even more impressive than Gal Gadot's character on the big screen. Not only is she one of the world's elite sprinters, she has a degree in neurobiology and global health from Harvard University and is now pursuing a master's degree in epidemiology and health care management at the University of Texas.
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Thomas became the first female Harvard graduate to ever win an Olympic medal in track and field, according to the university.
She brought home the bronze against a field that included Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah, who won the 100-meter gold in Tokyo and was the defending Olympic champion in the 200, and Namibia's Christine Mboma, who became the first woman in her country's history to win an Olympic medal.
The field also included seven-time Olympic medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica, former 400-meter Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas and the Ivory Coast's Marie-Josee Ta Lou, who holds the African record in the 100-meter race.
"The last 30 meters of that race were a battle, I had to fight tooth and nail for that one," Thomas said. "But I just remembered what my coach had told me before, which was to stay relaxed and stay composed.
"When I crossed the line I wasn't sure if I came in third, fourth or fifth, so to see that I came in third and got my medal, I was ecstatic."
Thomas isn't shedding her superhero cape for a lab coat just yet, either. Now that she has experienced winning a bronze, she wants to win it all at the 2024 Olympics.
"Absolutely, this has definitely changed how I see my career moving forward," she said. "Paris 2024, I want to go for that gold, so you will see me there. I will be fighting for it."
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
