“Gabby Thomas ate" - Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian shares his feelings on 'special' sprinter's striking Vogue cover shoot

Serena Williams' husband and Reddit co-founder, Alexis Ohanian, recently expressed his admiration for American track and field athlete Gabby Thomas' stunning Vogue cover shoot. Thomas, along with American basketball player Angel Reese, graced the covers of Vogue's Winter 2025 issue.

Thomas has been a standout star for the United States in track and field. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she secured three gold medals—one in the 200m, another in the 4x100m relay, and a third in the 4x400m relay. She had previously won a silver in the 4x100m relay and a bronze in the 200m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

During the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, the 28-year-old athlete clinched a gold medal in the 4x100m relay and a silver in the 200m race.

Most recently, Gabby Thomas graced the cover of Vogue's Winter 2025 issue. Reacting to her stunning photos in the fashion magazine, Alexis Ohanian praised Thomas, stating:

“She ate," Ohanian posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Ohanian expressed that Thomas is "special" and also mentioned her importance in Athlos, a female-only track and field meeting series that he founded. He mentioned that Athlos would not have been possible without her.

“You're special, Gabby! This is well-deserved and I was grateful to contribute to your VOGUE COVER STORY because there absolutely couldn't have been an @athlos without you!" Ohanian added.

The inaugural Athlos event took place at Icahn Stadium in New York City on September 26, 2024. At the event, Gabby Thomas finished second in the 200m race, just behind her compatriot Brittany Brown.

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Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian credited Gabby Thomas in helping him launch Athlos: “Gabby winning three gold medals helped”

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian & daughter Olympia at Athlos NYC [Source: Getty]

While speaking to Vogue in September 2024, Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, spoke about Athlos and how Gabby Thomas helped him in launching the event.

Ohanian said that American women have always been "exceptional" in track and field. He also mentioned that Thomas winning three gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics bolstered his confidence in Athlos.

“The American women have always been exceptional in track and field. We're all captivated by these women during the Olympics. Gabby [Thomas] winning three gold medals certainly helped,” Ohanian told Vogue.

The tech entrepreneur also talked about the disparity in compensation between tennis and track and field. He credited tennis legends like Billie Jean King, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams for elevating the status of tennis as a "well-compensated sport" for women.

Ohanian expressed that track and field is well behind in terms of compensation which is something he wishes to change.

“Thanks to Billie [Jean King] and thanks to Serena [Williams] and Venus, [tennis] is a very well-compensated sport now for women. Golf is another one that’s tracking in terms of compensation. But track and field is still very, very, very behind,” he added.

Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams co-own sports teams such as Angel City F.C., a professional soccer team in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), and the Los Angeles Golf Club (LAGC).