Sports

Gabby Thomas, Olympic 200-meter favorite, is firmly in the spotlight — and ready for it

Published

1 year ago

July 1, 2024

Gabby Thomas, Olympic 200-meter favorite, is firmly in the spotlight — and ready for it

EUGENE, Ore. — After the women’s 200-meter final was over, and she secured a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, McKenzie Long said she heard the craziest thing from Gabby Thomas.

“She said she had a dream about me,” a beaming Long said, holding a bouquet of white and purple flowers, a bronze medal hanging from her neck. “She was like, ‘Yeah, I had a dream that you were going to be an Olympian.’” I was like, ‘You didn’t want to tell me this before we got out here on this line.’”

Thomas said she didn’t want to jinx the dream, so she kept it to herself until after the race. But Long — before perhaps the biggest race of her life, in her best event, with a chance to make Paris — could’ve used the anxiety relief.

That proclamation from Thomas, Long implied, might’ve worked wonders before the race. Because belief from an idol works wonders for confidence.

“I literally tell her all the time, ‘I want to be you.’ She’s inspiring,” Long said. “That’s my goal. I want to be like Gabby Thomas.”

It’s taken some getting used to for Thomas, this new skin she’s in. The one with expectations. The one with experience. The one on the marquee.

Sometimes, she said, she wishes she could slink back into a former normalcy, when it was just about the running and the simple camaraderie of sport. Those days, though, are over.

“Great athletes are under pressure, and I just understand that. And so, if I want to be a great athlete, if I want to be among the names of Sanya (Richards-Ross), Allyson (Felix) … you just have to compete under pressure and accept that’s part of it.”

Thomas, 27, is embracing this escalating pedestal she’s on. Saturday’s 200-meter final was confirmation of her eliteness.

She smoked all comers in 21.81 seconds, including Sha’Carri Richardson. And that’s two-tenths of a second slower than her best time. In one of the most glorified events in sprint, Thomas is America’s premier figure.

Gabby Thomas, center, Brittany Brown, right, and McKenzie Long all qualified for the 200-meter in Paris for Team USA. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)

Thus, she is poised for stardom. Face-of-franchise material coming into her prime. She already has two Olympic medals — a bronze in the 200 and silver in the 4×100 relay in Tokyo. Last year, she won a silver in the 200 and a relay gold in the world championships. A gold in the 200 in Paris, with the likely chance of winning another in relay, would vault her to another stratosphere of the nation’s consciousness.

Thomas has the total package. She has an aura people love. She’s marketable. She’s has the kind of depth that makes her platform purposeful. She’s got seniority and respect.

Which is why college superstars such as Long are shaping their dreams into her likeness.

“It’s really humbling actually,” Thomas said. “I remember feeling that way about other athletes that I watched. My last Olympic trials, I felt that way about Allyson Felix. I felt that way about Jenna Prandini, who I’m still running against. … So to have a younger athlete look at me and say that just feels so surreal. But it makes me happy. It really feels like it’s giving me purpose.”

Most important, Thomas is excellent.

The 5-foot-9 Atlanta native, by way of Florence, Mass., is a refined elegance on the track. The efficiency of her form and gracefulness of her stride can make it feel like she isn’t running as fast. Speed doesn’t look so laborious when Thomas runs, though no less explosive.

Now, she’s got experience on her side. She can feel the benefits.

“Actually, yeah, I do, and I’m so grateful for that,” Thomas said. “Because there is a lot more pressure when you already have medals, when people know your name. But there’s also comfort in knowing, ‘OK, I have done this before.’ I just feel that maturity. I feel like, ‘OK, I’m going to go out and execute and I’m not going to let the nerves get to me.’ And that’s a feeling that just — you can’t explain, but it is so comforting to know that.”

Long knew what was up. The sensation from Ole Miss, loved her chances once she saw the lane assignments. Not just because Lane 7 is a decent combination of a looser curve and vision of the field. But because Thomas was in Lane 8.

“I wanted to stay on top of Gabby’s hip,” Long said. “I knew once I did that, I would position myself the way that I wanted to.”

Long rode Thomas to a time of 21.91 seconds, finishing third, just behind Brittany Brown’s 21.90. Richardson — America’s 100-meter champion, who’d looked dominant in the 200 leading up to the final — finished fourth at 22.16. While her bid for the 100/200 double ended, Richardson will still be one of the United States’ big attractions when she makes her debut in Paris, along with the ever-popular Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

They’ll be joined by Thomas.

But this star wasn’t born, not in the traditional sense of a moment birthing her luminance. This star was forged, cultivated.

A main component of this evolution, which has her on this cusp, is Thomas wanting it.

She didn’t always. Track was about a love of running and personal growth. She loved what the competition brought out of her, the development and improvement. As she got better and became significant in the sport, the attention was but a byproduct to endure.

Greatness at this level is an investment. Where she’s headed, based on this trajectory she’s been on since Harvard, required internal permissions. Because of what it extracts, and what it exposes her to, Thomas needed to adopt this into her purpose.

She has. Now she’s ready. She’s matured to the point she believes she can handle the spotlight of stardom, the pressures and burdens that accompany its glory. All that’s left is to win on the biggest stage. She believes it’s her time.

“I definitely feel like a vet at this point,” she said, “but I also feel like I have not reached my full potential. I feel like I can still. I feel like this is my year.”

GO DEEPER

Gabby Thomas: The U.S. track star with a bigger purpose beyond Olympic medals

(Top photo of Gabby Thomas and McKenzie Long embracing after qualifying for Paris in the 200-meter: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)

Sports

Lakers ask officials for consistency as technical fouls pile up in Clippers loss

Published

13 minutes ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

Lakers ask officials for consistency as technical fouls pile up in Clippers loss

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Clipper Kris Dunn grabs Laker Maxi Kleber ‘s jersey in front of a ref Saturday at the Intuit Dome.

(Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)

The Lakers have been assessed five technical fouls in the last two games because of conduct with officials as frustration over inconsistent calls is starting to boil over. After Doncic, Jaxson Hayes and Marcus Smart were all given technical fouls in the third quarter of Thursday’s win over Utah, Doncic and Smart were T’ed up again Saturday in the first and third quarters, respectively.

“I think if any coach, any player, what we ask for is consistency,” Redick said. “And that’s not to single any official out or any crew out, it’s not about that. We need to know what it is night to night.”

Smart also drew a technical foul against Utah after attempting to talk to an official at halftime. When Smart walked away frustrated, he raised his middle finger toward the official, a gesture that got him fined $35,000 Saturday, the NBA announced.

“Sometimes you got to take the hit to get your point across,” Smart said Saturday.

Redick expressed additional frustration with the lack of transparency in the replay system and murky communication with officials. He said he has not received any feedback when he requests it and the distinction between plays that can and can’t be challenged appears to change every night.

The lack of communication has been frustrating for players as well, Smart said, who met with referees before the Utah game as a team captain, but still had his questions dismissed.

“The captain should be able to come talk to them,” Smart said. “They still don’t want to hear it. So control what you can control. They don’t want to talk, you know, you try and you move on. But it definitely is frustrating when you pour your heart out to this game and the feedback is literally waving you off, telling you to get out your face, and then giving you a tech because you’re asking a simple question.”

Sports

Multiple players ejected after brawl breaks out during Eagles-Commanders game

Published

12 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

Multiple players ejected after brawl breaks out during Eagles-Commanders game

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An intense brawl broke out during the Eagles-Commanders game in the fourth quarter Saturday night, resulting in three ejections.

The fight began after Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley scored on a 2-point conversion to boost his team’s lead to 19 points with less than five minutes left.

Washington’s Javon Kinlaw and Quan Martin and Eagles offensive lineman Tyler Steen were disqualified after being flagged for unnecessary roughness.

There was some pushing and shoving and a lot of jawing, and officials threw six flags as the chaos ensued.

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Tyler Steen (56) of the Philadelphia Eagles and Mike Sainristil (0) of the Washington Commanders fight in the fourth quarter at Northwest Stadium Dec. 20, 2025, in Landover, Md. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Eventually, order was restored, and Barkley, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner spoke to each other.

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The Eagles won the game, 29-18, to clinch their second straight division title, becoming the first team to win back-to-back NFC East titles since the 2004 Eagles did it.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.

Sports

No. 4 UCLA closes nonconference play with a dominant win over Long Beach State

Published

12 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

No. 4 UCLA closes nonconference play with a dominant win over Long Beach State

UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close could not have imagined a better way for her team to wrap up nonconference play than Saturday afternoon’s 106-44 trouncing of Long Beach State at Pauley Pavilion.

Coming off Tuesday’s 115-28 triumph over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo — UCLA’s largest margin of victory during the NCAA era — the Bruins picked up where they left off, leading wire-to-wire for their fifth consecutive win since suffering their lone loss to Texas on Nov. 26.

“We’re growing … we had a couple of lapses today and we’re not there yet, but we’re heading in the right direction,” Close said. “I love the selflessness of this team.”

Senior guard Gabriela Jaquez led the way with 17 points and made five of six three-point shots. Angela Dugalic added 13 points while Gianna Kneepkens had 10 points and 10 rebounds. All 11 Bruins who played scored at least one basket.

UCLA forward Sienna Betts, top, and Long Beach State forward Kennan Ka dive for the ball during the Bruins’ win Saturday.

(Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)

Playing their last game in Westwood until Jan. 3, when they will host crosstown rival USC, the Bruins (11-1 overall, 1-0 in Big Ten) looked every bit like the No. 4 team in the country, improving to 6-0 at home. They are ranked fourth in both the Associated Press and coaches polls behind Connecticut, Texas and South Carolina.

“I’m really proud of our nonconference schedule. Not many local teams are willing to play us, so I want to compliment Long Beach State,” Close said. “Our starting guards [Charlisse Leger-Walker and Kiki Rice] combined for 17 assists and one turnover. We have depth and balance and that’s a great luxury to have.”

Jaquez scored nine of the Bruins’ first 12 points. She opened the scoring with a three-pointer from the top of the key and added triples on back-to-back possessions to increase the margin to eight points. Her fourth three-pointer, from the right corner, extended the lead to 21-5.

Sienna Betts’ jumper in the lane put UCLA up by 19 at the end of the first quarter. The sophomore finished with 14 points and senior Lauren Betts added 17. The sisters’ parents, Michelle and Andy, played volleyball and basketball, respectively, for Long Beach State. Sienna wears her mom’s No. 16 while Lauren dons her dad’s No. 51.

Rice’s steal and layup made it 46-18 with 3:28 left in the first half and Leger-Walker’s tip-in at the buzzer gave the Bruins a 34-point advantage at halftime. Rice had a complete game, contributing 15 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, four steals and one block.

The result continued the Bruins’ recent dominance against the Beach. UCLA has won six straight head-to-head meetings, including a 51-point blowout in the schools’ previous matchup last December, when Close became the all-time winningest coach in program history by earning her 297th victory to surpass Billie Moore (296-181). Long Beach State has not beaten the Bruins since 1987 under Joan Bonvicini, who posted a 16-1 record versus UCLA in her 12 seasons at the Beach from 1979 to 1991.

The Bruins’ primary focus on defense was slowing down sophomore guard JaQuoia Jones-Brown, who entered Saturday averaging 17.2 points per game. She scored 10 of the Beach’s 11 points in the first quarter but was held scoreless the rest of the way. She has scored in double figures in nine of 10 games. Guard Christy Reynoso added six points for Beach (0-10 overall, 0-2 in Big West).

The Bruins travel to Columbus on Dec. 28 to face No. 21 Ohio State (9-1).