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Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas has revealed the integral role that leagues and meets are bound to play in elevating the sport of track and field to the next level.
Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas has shed light on the challenges facing track and field athletes in terms of professional opportunities and sponsorships.
In a candid discussion on the Why Not Me? podcast, Thomas admitted that, when she entered professional track and field, she was uncertain about what going pro actually meant.
For many athletes like her, the road to professionalism can be unclear and laden with obstacles.
Unlike in other sports, where athletes enter well-funded leagues, going pro in track and field often hinges on securing a shoe sponsorship.
"I didn’t know what going pro in track and field was. I don’t think anyone knows what. I didn’t know anything. I knew Usain Bolt existed. I knew Allison Felix existed, and I knew that they ran every four years at the Olympics," Thomas explained.
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09:00 - 31.10.2024
'Watch out for Africa'- Letsile Tebogo fires warning shots after bagging top ANOC award
Letsile Tebogo was named Best Male Athlete of the Paris 2024 Olympics by ANOC for his gold in the 200m and silver in the 4x400m relay, highlighting Africa’s rising athletic prowess.
For Thomas, signing a deal with shoe company New Balance was transformative, covering her education and providing the resources she needed to compete.
"If nothing else, without that shoe deal I wouldn’t have been able to even run track."
The sponsorship allowed her to cover costs like travel to track meets, which can be prohibitively expensive for athletes without major funding.
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20:42 - 29.10.2024
'I did it for myself first' - Usain Bolt agrees with Asafa Powell's advice to Kishane Thompson on the 'demanding' nature of Jamaican fans
Usain Bolt has agreed with Asafa Powell on the nature of Jamaican fans after the latter recently offered advice to Kishane Thompson on why he should not feel oblidged to carry the country his t back.
"A lot of us are just people who haven’t seen money before, if I’m being frank, so we don’t know what a lot of money looks like. But for me, it really was life-changing," she added
The reality, Thomas emphasized, is that shoe sponsorships are a lifeline for many athletes.
Without them, she noted, "it will be very, very hard for you to be successful."
This financial instability, she argues, creates an urgent need for more investment in track and field as a whole.
To that end, notable investors are taking steps to address this gap.
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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.
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian recently launched an inaugural track and field event, aiming to draw greater attention and investment to the sport.
Track legend Michael Johnson also started the Grand Slam Track League, which provides athletes more opportunities to compete outside of the Olympics.
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06:40 - 31.10.2024
Sha'Carri Richardson missing as Gabby Thomas, McLaughlin-Levrone bag nominations for top US award
Sha’Carri Richardson paid the price for failing to deliver 100m gold for Team USA after being omitted from the list of nominees for the 2024 USATF award, which she won last year.
"People need to be a part of a league. They need to be committed to competing. They need to show up to meets so that spectators have something to actually watch other than the Olympics," Thomas said.
"When people are watching, that’s how you make money."
With these initiatives, Thomas hopes track and field can build a sustainable support system for athletes, expanding the sport's appeal beyond the Olympics and making it financially viable for up-and-coming stars.
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