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Gabby Thomas has revealed two things she painfully had to sacrifice upon turning pro to become dominating triple Olympic champion.
Gabby Thomas has opened up about the sacrifices she made to transition from a collegiate standout to a professional powerhouse.
Speaking on Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson's Night Cap podcast, Thomas reflected on the challenges she faced while climbing to the top of the athletics world, including her remarkable three-gold-medal haul at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Thomas highlighted the stark difference in recovery demands between collegiate and professional athletics as the most challenging adjustment.
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17:20 - 30.10.2024
'My coach had me writing essays' - Gabby Thomas on how training track at Havard University shaped her Olympic dreams
Gabby Thomas has explained how Harvard shaped her from becoming a mere Ivy League Star to the dominating sprinting powerhouse she now is.
“The biggest actual difference is the recovery. You have to rest,” she said. “For me, that was the toughest transition. Saying no to your friends to do things all the time.”
Thomas admitted that turning down social invitations and refraining from dinners and parties became necessary as she focused on her professional aspirations.
“That is a commitment you have to make to be a gold medalist,” she added.
This discipline paid off as Thomas cemented herself as one of the sport’s brightest stars, delivering historic performances in Paris and beyond.
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12:30 - 07.08.2024
Paris 2024 Olympics: Gabby Thomas insists Shericka Jackson's absence from women's 200m did not ease the pressure
Gabby Thomas has explained why Shericka Jackson's withdrawal from the women's 200m final did not make it easy for her to win the race.
The stakes are much higher in professional athletics, Thomas revealed, with success often determining the future of an athlete’s career.
“Dealing with pressure. When you are in college, you are running so many races, and when you lose, it is not the end of the world,” Thomas explained. “But professionally, you have a lot to lose. That is paying your bills. You are going to have to look for something else if you cannot win races.”
Thomas noted the need for mental toughness in navigating this pressure, as failure to perform consistently can spell the end of a career.
“If you cannot deal with it, you are not going to have a career,” she said, underscoring the critical importance of resilience in professional track and field.
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14:30 - 08.01.2025
'He is generational' - Matthew Hudson-Smith waxes lyrical of American wonderkid Quincy Wilson following meteoric rise
Matthew Hudson-Smith heaps praise on 'generational' American wonderkid Quincy Wilson following meteoric rise which saw him become youngest-ever Olympic gold medalist in 2024
Gabby Thomas’ journey to becoming a global sprinting sensation began at Harvard University, where she dominated the Ivy League with 22 conference titles and record-breaking performances. Her time at Harvard, coupled with a master’s degree in public health, laid the foundation for her transition to elite track and field.
After turning professional in 2018, Thomas steadily rose through the ranks, earning medals at the Tokyo Olympics and the World Athletics Championships.
Her crowning achievement came at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she captured three gold medals, including a historic victory in the 4x400m relay, which set an American record.
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