Gabby Thomas throws major shade at critic who wanted her to go medal-less at Paris Olympics

Reigning Olympic champion Gabby Thomas recently hit back at Grand Canyon University runner Erin Brown, who had expressed before the Paris Olympics that he did not want to see Thomas winning medals at the event. She ended up winning three gold medals at the Games.

Before the Paris Olympics, Brown, who has held the 100m and 200m WAC Outdoor Conference Championship titles, had expressed that he hoped she would not medal at the competition. Brown, who has also shared his dislike for Noah Lyles as an athlete, voiced his disapproval of Thomas in a tweet in June this year, writing,

"Something about Gabby Thomas just makes me not wanna see her medal at the Olympics.... I just can't put my finger on it!"

Gabby Thomas recently responded to Brown's tweet with a humorous dig, posting three gold medal emojis, along with a message that read:

"I meant to come back to this I almost forgot 😂 🥇 🥇 🥇."

The 27-year-old Georgia native made history at the Paris Olympics this year by winning three gold medals, marking the first golds of her track-running career. She kicked off her Games at the Stade de France with a win in the 200m, over Julien Alfred and Brittany Brown, with a time of 21.83 seconds.

She then played a pivotal role in America's victories in both the 4x100m relay and the 4x400m relay, with the latter victory marking the country's eighth consecutive gold medal in the event and setting a new national record of 3:15.27s.

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"I have looked up to her for so long" - Gabby Thomas on following in Allyson Felix's footsteps after her 200m victory at the Paris Olympics

Gabby Thomas at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 (Source: Getty)

Gabby Thomas' 200m gold medal at the Paris Olympics marked the first time in 12 years that an American runner stood atop the podium of that event at the Games. Expressing her feelings about following her childhood idol, Allyson Felix, in earning this achievement, the Harvard graduate said (via Olympics.com):

"Being the first woman to win the 200m gold since Allyson Felix in 2012 is such a great feeling because I have looked up to her for so long, ever since I was a child. She’s such great representation, but I still never imagined that I would be quite in that exact position."

Following an impressive 2024 season, Thomas wrapped up her professional commitments at the inaugural edition of Athlos NYC, a women-only track meet held in September.