The 27-year-old recently uploaded a few hours ago to TikTok. Thomas is heard in the short film emphasizing that these silly arguments have no place in sports and ought to be eliminated from the public’s perception. Gabby says nothing as she strolls the streets, but she does throw in a kind reminder with a swagger that flips her hair.
The Massachusetts resident claims on TikTok, “Just a friendly reminder that you can uplift one woman without bringing down another.” While capturing the video, Thomas’s gaze was directed elsewhere, possibly indicating that she wasn’t paying attention to such unimportant details. However, the serious yet at ease expression on her face also highlights how adamant the sprinter is about refusing to allow a ridiculous analogy enter her mind.
In the women’s 4×100-meter relay at the Paris Games, the two were instrumental in helping Team USA earn gold. While still maintaining her team in the hunt for gold, Gabby raced an exciting third leg of the sprint to hand off the baton to Sha’Carri. Richardson and Team America, who had initially lagged behind, led the race in 41.78 seconds, just defeating Britain’s Daryll Neita to cross the finish line first. Richardson and Team America ensured three seamless baton handovers with no notable faults. Sha’Carri acknowledged in an interview with Refinery 29 that she only listened to Thomas and that everything else was just a blur!
How do you feel about it?
“Only Gabby may be heard by me. I can’t hear it if it’s not her voice. The rest is all a blur. My mood instantly changes to one of resolve and knowing what time it is as I hear Gabby’s voice.
“[..] She then gives the stick to me. “Stick!” exclaims her. I’m given the stick. And she says, “Go! Go!” to me. Even after instructing me to get the stick, she doesn’t stop. She’s encouraging me on the way down the track.”
The relay race gave Richardson an opportunity to show her mettle one more time after failing to capture gold in the women’s individual 100-sprint. Falling to Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred in the solo race, SCR couldn’t do credit to her being the favorite in the event. With that, the relay race turned out to be an event when she managed to illustrate that Sha’Carri shouldn’t be ignored by fans. But remember that the two indulged in a brief disagreement back in 2021?
Following a short argument in 2021, Thomas went above and beyond to mend fences with Richardson.
Gabby Thomas stated that even though Richardson’s name was not included in the TikTok post, many other athletes had worked extremely hard to qualify for the Olympics, and it would be disrespectful to ignore their efforts by boycotting the games simply because they finished second. Given that her mother and 10-year-old Gabby moved from Mobile, Alabama, to escape their low-income reality, Thomas undoubtedly knew a thing or two about struggles.
When Sha’Carri ran up to the stands to give her parents a hug at the US Olympic trials in 2021, she didn’t stop at the finish line. However, after a cannabis test on her blood sample, things rapidly went south. Richardson’s hopes of competing at the Olympics were finally dashed when she was subsequently barred from the 2020 Tokyo Games. It was a severe blow to the gut, of course. The actress then stated that the outcome was a representation of her personal issues at the time, as a way to avoid facing the reality of coping with her mother’s death. Supporters said they would not watch the games at all!
“It really hurts to see so many black people choosing not to watch the Olympics this year,” Thomas said in response to the intense internet outcry. “There are so many black athletes who have put in YEARS of hard work for this moment—myself included. We need your help.
Furthermore, I’m concerned that some of the rage and contempt might not be justified. The ‘Olympics’ and those at the IOC have nothing to do with current events taking place.”
Richardson quickly retaliated. “Athletes that haven’t and will never beat me have a lot to say about or surround my situation. When the majority of them have said nothing to me, showing their characters that y’all don’t see behind the races. The attention that is on track today was due to very few names. So if that’s where fans support lies, you can’t be mad at that.” The tweet has subsequently been deleted.
While her concern wasn’t unwarranted, it nevertheless made people hesitant to give her a hall pass over the problem. But this time, as he entered Paris, Sha’Carri was searching for atonement. They were both primed for success, and when they emerged victorious in the 4×100-meter relay, footage showed a beaming Gabby giving her partner a tearful embrace following their joint Olympic triumph. “I am aware that she fulfilled her obligation. She is starting to trust me. She is starting to trust me now. She is now anticipating my arrival. SCR was heard praising her partner in their victory in the City of Love, saying, “She has every right to transfer that energy and that speed in which we did because she did her thing to get me to go into a different phase.”
It was understandable that Gabby felt overconfident about Sha’Carri in return. Giving the reins to Sha’Carri is an extremely unique and precious occasion. As soon as she picks up the baton, we know we’re in good hands because she moves so quickly, according to Thomas (via The Mirror).
Are you among the people who glowed with joy when they witnessed these two mysterious runners laughing together in Paris?
