Gabby Thomas entered the 2024 Paris Olympics with both speed and a fierce determination to win. Her journey leading up to the Games began in June at the U.S. Olympic Trials, where she ran the 200 meters in 21.81 seconds. She maintained this high standard at the London Diamond League, clocking 21.82 seconds in the same event. But her crowning achievement came in the 200-meter final at the Paris Olympics, where she claimed the gold medal with a time of 21.83 seconds. While the individual triumph was impressive, Gabby didn’t stop there; she went on to win two more golds in the 4×100 and 4×400-meter relays. This made her one of the standout athletes of the Olympic season, winning three golds in total.
However, Gabby’s journey wasn’t only about victories on the track; she recently shared her thoughts on sports culture during an appearance on the Why Not Me? podcast with Mike Jackson. One controversial topic she addressed was her disapproval of participation trophies. “Real participation trophies—oh gosh,” she began, expressing frustration and explaining, “I don’t think there’s a place for them in sport.” Gabby believes that competition should be about earning rewards rather than receiving them as consolation, stating, “I think it is so important to teach kids to lose and to be okay with that. Not everyone deserves a trophy. Not everyone earned a trophy.”
Gabby’s stance is rooted in her own experiences balancing an intense academic journey alongside her athletics. She attended Harvard, one of the most academically rigorous institutions, where she studied neurobiology and global health policy. Juggling her academic responsibilities with the demands of her sport wasn’t easy, yet she managed to complete her degree while still pursuing her athletic career. After Harvard, she continued her studies at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, where she began her Master’s in Public Health while training for the Olympics. Even during her master’s program, Gabby competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, winning a bronze in the 200 meters and a silver in the 4×100-meter relay.
During the podcast, the conversation took a playful turn when the host, Mike Jackson, jokingly referred to third-place finishes. He remarked, “You showed up, yes, you did your best… you got third place.” Gabby, with a playful smile, responded, “I mean, on the podium ceremony, you do get gold, silver, bronze… so, you know,” adding a lighthearted hand gesture, as if to suggest that bronze medals might be a “debatable” topic.
Despite the lightheartedness, her comment reflects her perspective on competition. Before Paris, Gabby’s Olympic medals were silver and bronze, but she had yet to win a gold. Although she claimed three golds in Paris, she later competed in the Athlos event, where she fell short of first place and took home a silver. These experiences underscore her firm belief in merit-based rewards; for Gabby, participation trophies hold no place in competitive sports, but winning medals at the Olympics does.
Gabby Thomas has shown the world what it takes to win Olympic gold, and her dedication to excellence is clear. While her views on participation trophies may spark debate, her journey to the top podium speaks volumes about her commitment to earning success on her own terms.