Who is Gabby Thomas' coach and where does she train? All about the American athlete's mentor

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Aug 06, 2024 10:50 GMT

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Gabby Thomas will be aiming to change the color of her 200m medal from the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Having topped both the heats and the semifinals of the women's 200m at the Paris Olympics 2024, the American sprinter will be aiming for an Olympic gold medal in the finals of 200m, to be held tonight at the Stade de France.

The one person who Thomas owes her success to the most is the Olympian-turned-mentor Tonja Buford-Bailey, who is her coach for the 200m. A former sprinter herself, Buford-Bailey believes in the wholesome development of an athlete and has trained several athletes to achieve the ultimate glory for the USA at various international tournaments, including the World Championships.

Thomas trains at the Austin campus of the University of Texas under the tutelage of Buford-Bailey, who was impressed by her skills and took her under her wing. Buford-Bailey was surprised by how easily Thomas managed her education as well as her passion for running. Buford-Bailey said [via Daily Hampshire Gazette],

"I would forget she's in school. She'd be like, 'I have class today', and I'd be like 'huh?' That's how easily she managed it."

The former hurdler also said that Thomas has gotten better at handling pressure:

"I'm glad she was able to get that experience in [2023 World Championships] because that's what helps you moving forward. So the Olympics won't feel unfamiliar. She had the pressure of the trials [the US Olympic trials], so now you know what the pressure feels like too. She's had all these smaller experiences to get her ready for the big stuff."

Buford-Bailey participated in three consecutive Olympics, from the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 to Sydney 2000. She won a bronze medal for her efforts in the 400m hurdles at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

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Gabby Thomas on meeting Tonja Buford-Bailey in Austin and her journey to the Olympics

Gabby Thomas in action at the Paris Olympics 2024 [Image Source: Getty]

In 2019, Gabby Thomas decided to turn professional, having won 22 titles for Harvard as an amateur. She decided to join the Buford Bailey Track Club, established by Tonya Buford-Bailey and situated in Austin.

Thomas credits her decision to move to Austin as the reason for her success as an Olympic athlete. In an interview held after the London leg of the Diamond League 2024, Thomas said [via Axios],

"Austin was just completely a different ballgame...I went from being a big fish in a small pond to being a little fish in a big pond. That was a big adjustment for me, but it forced me to get better at the track, and it forced me to raise the bar. It's the reason I'm an Olympian today. I don't think I would be an Olympian or an Olympic medalist if I had stayed in Boston, and that's just the truth of it."

Under the tutelage of Buford-Bailey, Thomas won a silver and a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 in the women's 4x100m relay and 200m. Subsequently, Thomas won two medals at the 2023 World Championships, silver in the women's 200m and gold in the women's 4x100m relay.

Though Thomas won two gold medals at the 2024 Nassau World Relays in the women's 4x100m and 4x400m relays, she chose to focus on the women's 200m for the Olympics. Thomas will be going for gold in the finals of the women's 200m tonight at the Stade de France, the athletics venue for the Paris Olympics.