Girard College grad Thelma Davies served as a flag-bearer for Liberia in opening ceremonies at Paris Olympics
The sprinter still holds multiple PIAA track records and had a standout career at LSU.
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Girard College graduate Thelma Davies served as a flag-bearer for Liberia during Friday’s opening ceremonies at the Paris Olympics.
The first high school athlete in state history to win the 100- and 200-meter dash four times in a row, Davies, a 2019 graduate of Girard College, was born in a Liberian refugee camp in Ghana after her parents fled civil war in Liberia.
Davies was 9 months old when her father, Emmanuel, arrived in the U.S. in search of a better life. His wife, Eliza, joined him with Davies about two years later.
» READ MORE: Pain, tragedy, and war couldn’t keep sprinter Thelma Davies from the Paris Olympics
Davies is still the PIAA record-holder in the girls’ 100 (11.25 seconds) and 200 (23.10).
After high school, she was a standout at LSU, though she also battled injuries.
Davies still finished her collegiate career as a five-time all-American, a three-time first team all-Southeastern Conference selection, and a three-time SEC champion. She also twice joined the exclusive sub-11 club in the 100 meters and tied Sha’Carri Richardson for the third-fastest 200 meters ever at LSU.
Davies also is the Liberian national record holder in the 100 and 200 meters.