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"I train with one of the best runners already" - Gabby Thomas on potential 200m race against Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone "sharpening" her
American track star Gabby Thomas has recently reacted to a potential 200m race against Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in the 2025 season. Thomas gained significant prominence with her triple-gold medal performance at the Paris Olympics, while McLaughlin-Levrone added two more golds to her overall Olympic Games medal count and also broke her own world record in the 400m hurdles.
Gabby Thomas is set to make her first appearance since the Paris Olympics at the inaugural Athlos NYC meet on Thursday, September 26. This will also be her final competition of the 2024 season. Meanwhile, McLaughlin-Levrone concluded her 2024 season by winning a sprint double in the 200m and 400m invitational events, different from her usual events, at the Brussels Diamond League Final.
McLaughlin-Levrone has time and again experimented with different distances by participating in events other than her signature event and is expected to continue doing so in the 2025 season. She also hinted at the possibility of competing in the 200m during the Grand Slam Track, scheduled next year, during a post-event interview at the Brussels Diamond League.
Recently, a fan expressed their excitement on Gabby Thomas’ TikTok post about her potential matchup against McLaughlin-Levrone in the 2025 season, writing:
“Very excited to see you next year especially with Sydney trying your event. Steel sharpens steel,” the fan commented.
Thomas responded with excitement about the contest while also suggesting that she also had a strong training group with one of the best 200m athletes in it, thus making herself better ready for the clash ahead. She said:
“Ooh yeah. I train with one of the best 200m runners already too.”
The interaction can be found in one of Thomas’ TikTok posts:
It is worth noting that Thomas trains with the group known as Bailey Bunch. It is an all-black women’s group whose mentor is the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games bronze medalist Tonja Buford-Bailey.
Gabby Thomas and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone met each other at USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix
In 2024, Gabby Thomas and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone competed against one another at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix in the 200m. The event saw McLaughlin-Levrone winning the race in a time of 22.07s, while Thomas had one of the worst races of her life, clocking 22.68s, to finish sixth.
Following this, Thomas detailed the reason behind her sub-par performance via her X handle, writing:
“Obviously didn’t look like myself today, it happens every season when I compete in the middle of this training block, but I committed to the meet long ago, and I just can’t pull out when fans look forward to seeing us compete. I’m okay, everything is going according to plan 🫶🏽💕,” Thomas wrote.
Although Thomas wasn’t at her peak that day, she has consistently proven why she is considered one of the top sprinters in the world. As a result, a clash between Thomas and McLaughlin-Levrone next season will be exciting to watch out for.
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