Gabby Thomas has never been afraid of a good fight on the track. The American sprint star has gone head-to-head with some of the biggest names in the sport, including Sha’Carri Richardson, but she has also seen how easily a competitive rivalry can be turned into something personal. In 2023, a rumor claimed that Thomas and Richardson had physically fought at a U.S. relay camp, a story Thomas later denied. Now, with another elite season behind her, Thomas is speaking about what she believes should remain between athletes who spend their careers trying to beat one another.

“Rivalries are real, but I feel like there’s a baseline of genuine respect between athletes who compete at the elite level because we know what it takes to be here,” Thomas wrote on X on September 29. She followed it with a joke that only an elite track athlete could fully appreciate. “Especially in track 😂 like I know you’ve shown up to the track and had to run until you thought you were about to meet your maker.”

For Thomas, the point appears to be that elite athletes understand something about one another that outsiders may not. They know the hours of training, the painful sessions, the pressure of major championships and what it feels like to push their bodies to the limit just to earn a place on the starting line. That does not mean rivalries are not intense. Her own rivalry with Richardson is a good example.

The two Americans shared the 200m podium at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, with Shericka Jackson taking gold in 21.41 seconds, Thomas winning silver in 21.81 and Richardson claiming bronze in 21.92. A year later, they met again at the U.S. Olympic Trials, where Thomas won the 200m in 21.81 while Richardson finished fourth in 22.16.

Those races naturally created a rivalry between the two. But Thomas has never presented Richardson as an enemy. When she eventually addressed the rumors surrounding their supposed feud, Thomas made it clear that the relationship was nowhere near as dramatic as social media had made it appear. “They have this fake beef between Sha’Carri Richardson and I and they just love it,” Thomas said. “Yeah, we are just cool, we are two very normal people.”

In fact, Thomas has previously credited Richardson with helping bring more attention to her own career. “Honestly, racing Sha’Carri and being her rival has brought attention to my career, too, and I have to commend her ability to handle all that media attention and still compete,” Thomas said. Thomas also praised Richardson for continuing to perform while dealing with intense public scrutiny.

And Richardson is not the only major rival with whom Thomas has shared that kind of competitive respect.

Julien Alfred pushes Thomas in a rivalry without the drama

Gabby Thomas’s recent 200m rivalry with Julien Alfred has followed a similar pattern, with the two pushing each other on the track without the personal drama that often surrounds high-profile rivalries. Their rivalry began at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Alfred arrived in Paris as the newly crowned Olympic 100m champion after defeating Richardson in the 100m final. Three days later, she lined up against Thomas in the 200m final.

Thomas came away with Olympic gold in 21.83 seconds, while Alfred finished second in 22.08.  By 2026, however, Alfred had started turning the matchup in her favor.

At the Monaco Diamond League on July 10, Alfred produced a stunning 21.51 to win the 200m, with Thomas finishing third in 21.84. Yet there was no personal drama attached to the result.  Before that race, Thomas was asked about competing against Alfred and spoke positively about the matchup. She described the field as full of “amazing competitors,” specifically including Alfred, and said she was “looking forward to seeing what we can bring out of each other.”

Then, just eight days later, the two met again at the London Diamond League on July 18. Alfred won the 200m in 21.66, while Thomas finished second in 21.81. It was another close battle between two of the world’s leading 200m runners, but there was no need for the rivalry to become personal.