"I thought I was gonna faint"- When Gabby Thomas opened up about facing the fear of feeling disoriented at the start during U.S. Olympic Trials

Gabby Thomas opened up about facing the fear of feeling disoriented at the start of the U.S. Olympic Trials. The American athlete revealed that the nervousness of competing at such a big stage alongside some of the best athletes in the country would make her doubt whether she be able to storm off the blocks as soon as the gun goes off.

Thomas competed in the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021 in an attempt to qualify for her first-ever quadrennial games. Weeks before the Olympic Trials, she faced a massive health scare when it was revealed that she had a tumor in her liver. However, the American athlete was relieved when tests later indicated that the tumor was benign.

Gabby Thomas marched onto the Olympic Trials and competed in the women's 100m and the 200m. She finished fifth in the 100m and qualified for the relays. Thomas went head to head against former Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix in the 200m. She clocked the second fastest 200m of all time to win the trails and seal a spot in the U.S. Olympic Team.

However, Thomas opened up about being doubtful due to nervousness before the race as she got on to the starting blocks. She spoke about her experience during the 200m finals in an interview with Today and said:

“Yeah, I remember walking over to the blocks and feeling so lightheaded that I thought I was gonna faint. And then, you know, sometimes you’re in the blocks and you think, ‘Oh my gosh, when the gun goes off am I gonna move?," she said.

However, Allyson Felix's presence in the finals gave Gabby Thomas a sense of relief as she could set the former Olympic Champion as a benchmark during the first 50m of the race.

“ But I knew Allyson was to my outside and I know that she is such a fierce competitor. I knew, ‘OK, well, if I can catch her to the first 20m if I just focus on that and do that, the rest will be fine because I know myself, I know my race, I know how I compete, and how I close the race and that’s what I focused on," she added.

Gabby Thomas on qualifying for her first Olympic Games

Gabby Thomas during Athletics - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 14 - Source: Getty

Gabby Thomas opened up about qualifying for the Olympics for the first time. The American athlete expressed how elated and excited she felt about achieving a major milestone in her track career.

"That kind of was like, once you get to Tokyo and make the team, and even when you get there and start competing, you’re just — or at least I was — on such a high. That was pretty much the highlight of my life. And so obviously there are so many emotions, so many hormones, and just such a high that I’m feeling. It’s like kind of this peak," she said.

However, after the conclusion of the quadrennial games, she felt very overwhelmed as she became the center of discussion after winning two medals and she wasn't prepared for the newfound attention.