Two former track stars discuss Gabby Thomas’ prospects of winning 200m title at the 2025 World Championships highlighting her talent while acknowledging fierce competition from Jamaicans.
Retired American sprinter Justin Gatlin has weighed in on the chances of reigning Olympic champion Gabby Thomas capturing the 200m title at next year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
The former Olympic gold medalist, alongside retired Bahamian runner Rodney Green, discussed the competitive landscape for Thomas on their Ready Set Go podcast, highlighting both her strengths and the stiff competition she is likely to face.
Thomas, a Harvard graduate, achieved a major milestone in her track and field career during the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she won the 200m final with an impressive time of 21.83 seconds.
In doing so, she bested Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred and fellow American sprinter Brittany Brown.
Thomas also played a pivotal role in Team USA’s dominance in the relay events, helping secure gold in both the 4x100m and 4x400m relays.
“Gabby’s gonna do what she does, but once again them Jamaicans, needless to say all three of them I mean they could upset the medal stand,” Green remarked on the podcast.
“They do Shericka, Elaine, Shelly-Ann as well as you throw Dina in there,” he added, referencing Jamaican sprint stars Shericka Jackson, Elaine Thompson-Herah, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, along with British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith.
Gatlin echoed Green’s thoughts, pointing out the unpredictability of the field at the World Championships. “They have the capabilities of doing so,” he said.
Despite her stellar performance in Paris, which cemented her as the first American woman to win a 200m Olympic gold since Allyson Felix’s triumph at the London 2012 Games, Gabby Thomas has yet to secure an individual gold medal at the World Championships.
In her debut appearance at the 2023 event, she earned a silver medal in the 200m but showed her relay prowess by contributing to the USA’s gold in the 4x100m relay.
Looking ahead to the 2025 World Championships, both Gatlin and Green emphasized that while Thomas has all the tools to win, the depth of talent in the women’s sprinting world—particularly from the Jamaican camp—could make the race highly unpredictable.
“Gabby has the talent and experience now, no doubt. But the Jamaicans, they are always dangerous. All it takes is for one of them to peak at the right time,” said Gatlin.
Thomas has spoken openly about her growth as an athlete, crediting her experiences in the past two years for sharpening her competitive edge.
Reflecting on her Paris Olympics victory in an interview shortly after the Games, she stated, “I’ve grown so much as an athlete. To win the 200m and bring back that gold for the U.S. is a dream come true. But I know there’s always more work to do.”
Following a remarkable 2024 season Thomas concluded her year on a high note by competing at the Athlos NYC event in September.
