Gabby Thomas, Who Landed the World Lead, Shares the Impact of McKenzie Long’s Story on Her Mother: ‘It Inspired Me’

Gabby Thomas, reflecting on her rise to the top of the world rankings in the 200m, spoke fondly of the impact of her childhood mentor: “She showed me firsthand what it means to pursue and achieve your dreams.” Gabby Thomas’ journey to becoming an Olympic sprinter didn’t start on the track. Growing up, she was an all-around athlete, exploring soccer and softball before discovering her true calling in sprinting. Witnessing Allyson Felix’s athletic prowess sparked a passion for track in Thomas.

Meanwhile, McKenzie Long’s story resonates deeply. In Eugene, Oregon, the U.S. Track and Field Team Trials are in full swing this weekend, featuring the fastest competition in history. Sprinters are setting new American and world records daily. Recently, Thomas beat Long’s 200m record by just 0.05 seconds. Off the track, Thomas has expressed admiration for Long’s graceful handling of recent personal challenges, citing him as an inspiration.

Gabby Thomas finds inspiration in McKenzie Long’s resilience

FloTrack recently tweeted an interview with Gabby Thomas after her 200m semi-finals where she talked about McKenzie Long. Thomas said, “It’s one of those inspiring stories that you hear about and it inspires me.” The tweet was captioned, “Gabby Thomas says she is touched by McKenzie Long’s story, as well as his comments on the follow-up to the Jamaican trials.” Gabby Thomas has just set a time of 21.78 s in the 200m qualifications, surpassing the record set by McKenzie Long (21.83 s). Thomas is now officially qualified for the 200m final. McKenzie Long first reached the semi-finals after a fantastic run of 22.49s.

Earlier last year, Long lost her mother Tara to a heart attack. She has spoken openly about how the loss affected her and how she copes by channeling her grief into inspiration to do better in the field. Tara was a single mother who went to graduate school, earned a doctorate, and became a professor, instilling in her daughter the importance of hard work.

Long expressed his loss by saying: “It’s hard because I’m just like, ‘Mom, what do you think about this?’ »… Because my mother, she wanted to be involved – she wanted to take care of all the practical things. Thomas praised her resilience, saying: “You see her (Long) doing incredible things on the track despite what she’s going through in her personal life. It makes me want to go out there and do well.”

Additionally, in the 100m event, McKenzie Long finished third in the series with a time of 10.94 seconds. Even though she didn’t make the finals, the fact that she’s fresh out of the collegiate level and the NCAA can hold her own among veteran athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson and Gabby Thomas is an accomplishment in itself. However, she had already been excluded from the 400m event; she hopes to secure a place in the 200m event. Last time at the Tokyo Olympics she won bronze, so hopes are high for her success.

The wealth of experience of Thomas and McKenzie Long

Gabby Thomas won 22 conference titles during her time at Harvard. She won them in 6 different events and set Ivy League records for the 100m and 200m as well as the 60m indoor races. In addition to the bronze in Tokyo, she was also part of the 400m relay team that won silver. At the 2023 World Championships in Athletics, she won a silver medal in the 200m as well as a gold medal in the same relay. Additionally, she broke the 11-second barrier in the 100m at the Texas Relays with a time of 10.88 s.

She is very eager not only to defend her Olympic title, but also to stand on a higher podium. She said, referring to people who do not believe in her: “It’s really all that outside talk and chatter that you hear that makes you want to win the gold medal. You’re like, ‘Dang, here we go, I really have to go get this!’ McKenzie Long also has some experience in the competitive arena. Earlier this month at the 2024 NCAA Championships, the Ole Miss star won three titles.

They won the 100m, 200m and 400m relay events. She ran the 100m in 10.82s, the 200m in 21.83s and the total relay time was 42.34s. The 200m semifinals are scheduled for Friday, followed by the final on Saturday. If Long can qualify for the 200m final, she and Thomas will face off. It will surely make for some very exciting matches that fans are eagerly awaiting.