An exclusive interview with the Olympic 200m champion about what it takes to stay at the top of the sport, overcome injuries and leave a legacy both on and off the track.
Gabby Thomas is going to test her limits this outdoor season. Having spent considerable time on the sidelines last year, the Olympic 200m champion is keen to push the boundaries as far as possible. The ultimate goal. For fun.
With no Olympics or World Athletics Championships taking place for the first time since 2018, barring Covid-19 in 2020, it’s an opportunity for Thomas to focus on lowering his times over multiple distances.
Late last year, the 29-year-old has been recovering from an Achilles injury, which she initially suffered in May but then aggravated in July. Although Thomas qualified for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, he pulled out to prioritize his long-term health.
It’s not the first time Thomas has had to overcome adversity. After winning an Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo at the age of 24, the sprinter was one of the favorites for the gold medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, alongside Sherika Jackson and Shelley-Anne Fraser-Pryce.
Just two weeks before the USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field, Thomas suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain. Despite the injury, he competed at the championships and finished eighth in the 200m final.
Thomas, with the help of her coach Tonya Buford-Bailey, overcame the setback and came back to secure a world 200m silver medal in Budapest the following year. Gaining more championship experience, she then went on to win the Olympic 200m gold medal in Paris and also topped the podium in both the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays.
The American athlete believes that she has become stronger with every setback, emphasizing learning about herself through each process.
“With major injuries, it’s really painful, and I mean emotionally painful,” he says. AW:. “You work so hard for this. I think the hardest thing coming out of Tokyo last year was just the disappointment knowing that I had worked all year to run really well in Japan (Thomas had a season best of 21.95 in the 200m).
“I trained every day for that moment. However, I’m no stranger to injuries and setbacks, and part of that has to do with experience, knowing you can bounce back from it and become a better athlete afterwards. If you want to be at the top of the sport, you have to be resilient. Being grounded is also important, and it’s good to stick to those principles.
“So at this point I’m taking that experience with me. I’ve had some setbacks due to injury, but that’s normal. I will come back stronger. I’m just looking forward to having a strong season this year. I didn’t go to Tokyo because I wanted to take care of myself, so I’m ready for the next few years.”
Thomas will open her season, the first time she’s been on a competitive track since Aug. 3, in the 100m and 200m this weekend at the Texas Relays. At the next Austin meet, the sprinter will aim to set early markers and may even challenge her personal best in the 100m (11.00 from 2021 and 2022).
As the Olympic 200m champion, he has already qualified for the first ‘made-for-TV’ athletics event at the World Championships in Budapest, which will take place over three nights from September 11-13.
Thomas says one of his biggest focuses this year is to see how fast he can go over 400m. At last year’s Grand Slam in Kingston, the American revised his personal best to 49.14, which puts him eighth on the all-time US 400m list.
“No Olympics or Worlds this year, that it’s a great opportunity for athletes to have fun,” he says explored a few different things in training and pushed it a little further on the endurance side (Thomas posted mile reps on social media). Training for three events (100m/200m/400m) has its challenges as they all require such different skills.
“Me looking to throw some 400m races in the schedule this year. I really think I have a lot of potential in the 400m, but I have to say the 200m will always be my favorite event. That’s my baby and that’s who I’ll be running in Budapest.”
Thomas has also made a significant impact off the track in the past few years, and her passion for empowering women in sports is undeniable. Sprinter Association with AtlasThe women-only track and field event founded by Alexis Ohanyan is one example.
Now in its third season, Atlas will expand in 2026 with multiple matches in the Women’s Athletics Team League. Thomas, along with Sha Curry Richardson and Tara Davis-Woodhall, is one of three consulting owners who can say how the league will be shaped in future years.
Filled with strobe lights, pyrotechnics, DJ sets, Atlas It has attracted a host of star names over the past two years, with the latest edition seeing the likes of Keely Hodgkinson and Faith Kipyegon excelling on the track, as well as Davies-Woodhall lighting up Times Square in the long jump.
Thomas, who isn’t shy about documenting his journey on social media either, wants to leave a legacy that includes his work both on and off the track.
“I still think about how I started as an athlete and how the landscape was different,” Thomas says. “It was a lot of fun growing up with this generation of athletes like Noah Lyles and Masai Russell. There are a lot of personalities, and I think my generation has done a pretty exceptional job of creating our own brand and marketing and putting ourselves out there.
“It gave us a lot of opportunity, which I think previous generations didn’t have as much. But when I think back to how I started, you know I was definitely a little more timid than I am now. I was playing by the rulebook a bit more. I thought everything had to be a certain way and that the sport was very tough.
“But over the last few years I think I’ve grown a lot in terms of confidence. I’ve done well figuring out who I am, and that really shows in how I’ve navigated my career. I now see myself not only as an athlete, but also as an entrepreneur, advocate and founder.
“One of my biggest inspirations is Alison Felix. I’ve always said it’s not just because of what he’s done, that he’s done on the track, right? It’s because of how he carries himself and how he uses his voice in so many environments off the track. I saw a lot of myself in him. So those are the things that I really admire about athletes and that’s what I really want to replicate in my career.
Thomas now has his own collection of the New Balance Ellipse releasing on April 8th. After being deeply involved in the design process, the collection, featuring subtle pastel shades and neutral colors, was designed to represent her personality and strength as a competitor.
The collection will feature a range of apparel and a signature colorway, bridging the gap between performance and lifestyle without sacrificing comfort and fashion.
“It was amazing to be a part of the design process and help shape a shoe that truly reflects who I am,” says Thomas. “There are so many decisions you have to make and sometimes you kind of go back and forth in your head, but basically I just leaned towards what felt true to me.
“Me I love both fashion and competition, so the fusion of the two worlds feels natural, and I also love the moment when sports have, you know, athlete ambassadors like myself who do that.”
“MeIt’s truly an honor to have my athlete collection, especially with New Balance. I have to show me a bit of my creative side. And so, you know, for me this collection is about creating pieces that empower athletes.”
