After spending years in the headlines for her rivalry with Sha'Carri Richardson , American sprinter Gabby Thomas looks to have turned over a new leaf following her two Olympic gold medals.
The sprinter teamed up with Richardson as well as Twanisha Terry and Melissa Jefferson to claim Team USA' s first gold medal in the 4x100m since 2016. The team's 41.78 mark was good enough to edge second-place Great Britain by just 0.07 seconds.
"Always an honor to be amongst such talent... and we get it done!!!" Thomas posted on Instagram. The picture featured Thomas alongside her 4x100 teammates each donning the American flag. Following the victory, it appears any beef between Thomas and Richardson is firmly in the past.
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The duo shared a public war of words around the 2021 Tokyo Games. Richardson was unable to compete following a positive test for marijuana, usage she claimed was for coping with the loss of a biological mother. Many of Richardson's fans vowed to boycott the Olympics and thus, boycott Thomas.
"It really hurts to see so many black people choosing not to watch the Olympics this year," Thomas said in response to the boycott reports. "There are so many black athletes who have put in YEARS of hard work for this moment- myself included. We want your support."
In a since-deleted tweet, Richardson quipped: "Athletes that haven’t and will never beat me have a lot to say about or surrounding my situation."
With the pair's victory in Friday 4x100 filled with congratulatory messages , any lingering animosity seems to be behind the pair. It was important for them to come together and trust each other, especially after a sloppy handoff in qualifiers threatened to derail the entire team's Olympics.
"Passing the baton to Sha'Carri is a very special and unique thing," Thomas said . "She's so fast and we know we're in good hands as soon as she gets her hands on the baton."
Richardson added: "I just remember trusting my third leg, trusting Gabby, and knowing that she’s going to put that stick in my hand no matter what, and to leave my best on the track."
The Paris Games have been a monumental Olympics for Thomas. After taking home a bronze in the 200m and a silver in the 4x100 at the Tokyo games, the 27-year-old captured gold in the 200m and 4x100.
“I feel like I’ve worked very hard, and everything has been a part of the plan. This has been a six-year plan, ever since moving to Texas,” Thomas said . “We’ve been working hard every day for this, so I earned it. But it’s still an unbelievable, indescribable feeling.”
Thomas moved to Texas to complete her master's degree in public health, focusing specifically on "sleep patterns of different ethnic groups." She completed her undergraduate degree at Harvard University in neurobiology and global health.
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