Gabby Thomas has surged into the global track and field spotlight with performances that have left fans in awe – nearly toppling FloJo’s legendary mark. Her journey, however, wasn’t without its doubts. “Running track in college, there were many times where I thought I would quit. When I went pro… the growing pains … I didn’t think that I was going to be cut out for it,” she revealed. On the brink of walking away, Thomas instead became a face of American track and an inspiration worldwide, but what fueled her rise? One single quote changed everything.

During a conversation with the Williams sisters(Serena Williams and Venus Williams), Gabby Thomas was asked about the source of her grit and how she has accomplished so much in such a short time. The athlete revealed that it all comes down to a simple piece of advice from her coach, Bailey, “I was going into these trials thinking, ‘Oh, I might try to make the Olympic team. It’s going to be great. I’ll have a good time. Let’s see what I can do.’ I was just so happy. And I remember her sitting me down and saying, ‘Look, nobody cares that you are here. Nobody cares that you are running. You need to win.'”

She further added, “All they care about is medals. These shoe companies that pay you, the brands that pay you, all they care about is medals. So you can be here. You can have fun all you want, but that’s not what we’re here for. And it scared me. It scared me. My mindset immediately shifted.” After that motivational pep talk from her former coach, Gabby Thomas surged to become the second-fastest woman in history over 200m. She stunned the track world at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, clocking an eye-popping 21.61 seconds.

For context, Florence Griffith-Joyner, FloJo, set the gold standard with 21.34 seconds to claim Olympic gold at Seoul 1988, after running 21.56 in the semifinals. Thomas’s performance firmly places her in the elite echelon of sprinting legends. Thomas entered the 2021 Tokyo Olympics as a clear favourite after the trial performance.

However, despite her best attempts, she could only clinch the bronze medal, clocking 21.87 seconds behind Elaine Thompson‑Herah (gold) and Christine Mboma (silver). Well, she has clinched every major medal until now, but what about her upcoming season after missing 2025? Let’s find out.

What’s next for Gabby Thomas?

World Athletics, on its X handle, announced the upcoming season, captioning, “The #WorldIndoorTour will return in 2026, featuring a packed calendar of almost 80 meetings across all levels.” The World Indoor Tour Gold calendar has been unveiled with a vibrant ‘Save the Dates’ visual, spotlighting eight premier meets across the USA and Europe. The action kicks off with the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on 24 January 2026, followed by the iconic Millrose Games on 1 February, and the Czech Indoor Gala just two days later.

Track and field fans can look forward to the World Indoor Tour Gold in Madrid on 6 February, the Init Indoor Meeting in Karlsruhe on 8 February, and the Belgrade Indoor Meeting on 11 February. The tour will conclude at the marquee stretch at Poland’s ORLEN Copernicus Cup on 22 February. However, of all the packed meetings, the Boston one stands out. The inclusion of the women’s 400m as a scoring event this year only strengthens the likelihood of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s participation. That’s not all. She will be surrounded by fellow New Balance icons like Femke Bol and Gabby Thomas, who will be making an appearance at the event.

Gabby Thomas missed the majority of her 2025 season, sidelined by a serious Achilles tendon injury in May that forced her to withdraw from the World Athletics Championships. Now fully focused on recovery, Thomas is determined to make the most of her 2026 season. How far she will go remains to be seen.