EUGENE — Gabby Thomas continued to rule the U.S. women’s 200 meters Saturday at Hayward Field.

Thomas sped around the curve and down the home straight to win the 200 final with a time of 21.81 in the U.S. Olympic trials before a crowd of 12,175.

Veteran Brittany Brown was second in 21.90, a personal record. McKenzie Long, breakout star of the NCAA Outdoor Championships earlier this month, placed third in 21.91.

They all advanced to the U.S. Olympic team that will compete next month in Paris.

The 200 is Thomas’ race. She won the trials in 2021 and the U.S. championship in 2023. She has two medals in the 200 at the world level. Still, there were some nerves heading into this one.

“I can breathe now,” she said while talking to reporters in the interview area. “This means everything to me.”

When Thomas won the 200 at the 2021 trials, she wasn’t as well known. This time, she arrived in Eugene as one of the favorites. That was its own burden.

“I was definitely nervous,” she said, looking back at 2021. “But it was a little bit more fun that way. Every time I would advance to another round, I would think, ‘Oh yay! I’m doing it.’ Now, it’s like, ‘Well, I have no choice but to run another round.’ It’s definitely an added pressure.

“But it’s also exciting to know that people are supporting me, looking to me, looking at me to do something.”

There are bigger goals on the horizon. Paris looms.

“The job isn’t finished,” Thomas said.

This will be the first Olympic experience for Brown and Long. Brown has twice appeared in the world championships, and earned a silver medal in the 200 in 2019.

“I had a great start,” Brown said. “I executed what I wanted to execute. I’m proud of it. That was probably my best start of the rounds. I wanted to push hard and bring it home.”

Long won the 100 and 200 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships competing for Mississippi. It’s been a long season, and it will continue in Paris.

“I’ve never been outside the U.S.” she said, beaming. “This will be my first time.”

And, apparently hard to take in.

“Just crossing that line, knowing I’m an Olympian,” Long said. “It’s so surreal.”

Sha’Carri Richardson, who won the 100 meters at the trials last weekend, finished fourth in the 200 final.

Two-time Olympian Jenna Prandini, a former University of Oregon star, was seventh. Jadyn Mays, who wrapped up her UO career this spring, placed eighth.

It was a tough way to finish for Prandini, who placed eighth in last week’s 100 final. For Mays, exiled to Lane 1 in the final, it was something to build upon.

“Nobody really wants to be in Lane 1,” she said. “You have to work with what you’ve got. I was happy. I went out there and competed as hard as I could.

“I thought it was a great experience, being able to compete against these women. You see these times they are dropping, they’re like the top times in the world. It was a great experience to come out here and get a little recognition, to talk with them and get some advice from people who have been on the pro circuit for a little while.”

Here are results from the Olympic trials.

-- Ken Goe for The Oregonian/OregonLive