Gabby Thomas expressed her admiration for the new custom-designed racing bibs created for women at Athlos NYC, a unique track meet held in 2024. This event marked Thomas’ final track appearance of the year, where she competed in the women’s 200m event. The American sprinter had an outstanding start to the year, performing exceptionally well in early races. She quickly became a top contender for gold at the Paris Olympics following a remarkable performance at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials held at Hayward Field. In the women’s 200m finals, Thomas clinched her first Olympic gold medal with a time of 21.83 seconds. She also triumphed in both the 4x100m and 4x400m relay events, taking home gold in each and marking her most successful Olympic campaign to date.
Following the Olympics, Thomas opted to skip the upcoming Diamond League events and instead participated in the all-women track meet organized by Alexis Ohanian, the husband of Serena Williams. Athlos NYC introduced several groundbreaking features, such as a performance by Megan Thee Stallion, easy accessibility to watch the meet, and a 10% revenue-sharing model along with a generous prize purse. Another notable innovation at the meet was the custom-made bibs for women, which were smaller and clearer than traditional bibs, allowing for better movement without hindering the athletes’ performance. Thomas commented on the significance of these bibs, sharing her appreciation for the design and how important such small but meaningful changes are in track and field.
In addition to her excitement about the event’s innovations, Thomas spoke about her decision to participate in Athlos NYC. She explained that her involvement in the meet was about more than just the race itself. She believed that the event represented a larger cause for women’s sports and was excited to be part of the positive changes it aimed to bring to the sport. She expressed that it was about creating a future where women’s sports and track and field would continue to evolve and receive the recognition they deserved.
At Athlos NYC, Thomas finished second in the 200m, earning the silver medal with a time of 22.21 seconds, behind Brittany Brown, and concluded what had been one of the most successful seasons of her career.
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