When an energetic Gabby Thomas, as usual, entered the Grand Slam Track meet in Philadelphia on May 31st, she was ready to bring her best to the 100m and 200m races. Warmed up, smiling, signing autographs for fans, mostly children, and focused on her races, she looked like the unstoppable Olympian everyone knows. But the results? Not what anyone expected. She finished fourth in the 100m and second in the 200m. But was it just a normal loss… or something more?

At first, no one thought twice. But when Gabby shared a recap of her weekend at GST, it quickly became clear: this wasn’t just about racing. It was about something far more disturbing. So what happened? Here’s the backstory.

After the meet, Gabby Thomas shared on X a shocking revelation: “…. grown man followed me around the track….. shouting personal insults.” Initially, many assumed her performance was just a tough loss. But then Thomas’s recap brought a disturbing truth to light. So, how did it come up? Known as “Mr 100K a day,” a social media user bragged about heckling Gabby Thomas during the meet, writing, “I made Gabby lose by heckling her. And it made my parlay win,” alongside a video of his behavior. Gabby didn’t hesitate to call him out.

Quote tweeting him, she wrote, “This grown man followed me around the track as I took pictures and signed autographs for fans (mostly children) shouting personal insults. Anybody who enables him online is gross.” She responded. “Honestly, the heckling is tolerable,” she added, “it’s following me around the stadium that’s wild.” The videos the heckler posted captured more than just insults.

He called Gabby Thomas a “choke artist” and made racially insensitive remarks targeting Thomas’s fiancé. This wasn’t just shouting from the stands. The man literally followed her around the stadium. The incident sparked outrage from the track and field community. Michael Johnson, founder of the Grand Slam Track meet, publicly condemned the behavior, tweeting, “So sorry you had to experience this Gabby! We are working to identify the individual involved and will take appropriate action as necessary. Despicable behavior like this will not be tolerated.”

Meanwhile, FanDuel, the betting platform where the man placed his wagers, issued a firm statement to ESPN: “FanDuel condemns in the strongest terms abusive behavior directed towards athletes. Threatening or harassing athletes is unacceptable and has no place in sports. This customer is no longer able to wager with FanDuel.”

Just two days after Gabby Thomas drew attention to the harassment, FanDuel took decisive action and banned the bettor, making sure he could no longer use their platform to profit from his childish and hateful antics. The company’s swift response sent a clear message that abusive behavior toward athletes won’t be tolerated anywhere, not on the track, not online, and not in sports betting.

For Gabby Thomas, this isn’t the first time she is facing harassment.

Gabby Thomas is facing the music when cheers turn to jeers

Turns out, the recent heckling Gabby Thomas faced at the Grand Slam Track meet isn’t the first time she’s dealt with creepy and downright invasive behavior. Earlier this year, she posted a TikTok sharing how groups of middle-aged men have been following her through airports, yes, airports. We’re talking Chicago, Miami, and more. “They know the airport, day, time, gate, everything!!! Who do I report them to??” she asked on X. These guys would show up with stacks of photos, trying to corner her for autographs, and things got hostile when she said no. Even scarier?

“They somehow have my flight details even when I don’t even know what time I’m flying out sometimes,” she said in the video. Gabby Thomas’s even changed her email passwords just in case. She was wondering, “I don’t know if they’re hacking me or if someone at the airport is tipping them off.” That’s not just uncomfortable, it’s unsafe. And it’s not just Gabby. Just recently, Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, former LSU gymnast and social media sensation, shared a tearful TikTok of her own.

She, too, was being followed around by grown men at airports, stacks of photos in hand, clearly tracking her movements. “I fear that I’m being stalked and I don’t know what to do,” Livvy admitted. It’s chilling how similar her story is to Gabby’s. No matter how private these athletes try to be, people still find ways to cross the line, and it’s exhausting, not to mention terrifying.

Livvy even name-dropped Gabby in her video. She said, “It’s not only me, I remember Gabby Thomas made a video about this and it needs to stop because it’s scary for girls, it’s weird.” Gabby didn’t hesitate to back her up, replying, “Girl!! So sad that because we’re good at what we do people feel like… Glad you’re speaking up too.” It’s a sad truth: being a talented, visible woman in sports sometimes comes with an ugly price. But speaking out like this? It’s powerful. But comes with the cost: fear, anxiety and trauma. But how to fix it?

For starters, event organizers and platforms like FanDuel stepping in like they did in Gabby Thomas’s case is a solid first move. But it can’t stop there. Athletes need stronger security at events, more privacy around their travel details, and clear reporting systems when lines get crossed. The public has to stop normalizing this behavior as just ‘fan energy.’ It’s not. It’s creepy, it’s dangerous, and it has to stop.