“If this is not cancer, I will make this team”- When Gabby Thomas believed she could overcome a liver tumor to win the 2021 Olympic Trials

Gabby Thomas had a phenomenal outing at the 2020 U.S Olympic Trials, but the road to her 200m gold medal wasn't without its challenges. After making her first Olympic team, the American revealed that right before the Trials she was given a health scare that left her reeling.

Thomas came into the Trials a favorite for the win, after a series of impressive performances earlier in the year. Her 2021 season saw her clinch 200m titles at the 93rd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, the USATF Sprint Summit, the Michael Johnson Invitational, and the USATF Golden Games.

However, in May 2021, a month before the Trials, the sprinter went in for an MRI on her lower back after experiencing pain in her hamstring. The MRI scan revealed that she had a tumor on her liver.

Gabby Thomas told the Washington Post that while she did not panic initially, her worries started to grow over time.

“The more I started talking to doctors, the more they started saying the word ‘cancer’.”

In a separate interview with My Favorite Olympian, Thomas stated that she'd made a pact with God - that if she was healthy, she would win the 200m crown at the Olympic Trials.

“I remember telling God, I was like ‘If I’m healthy, I’m going to go out and win trials. If this is not cancer, I will make this team.'”

Fortunately, the tumor was benign, and Thomas lived up to her end of the bargain. Not only did she win the 200m Olympic Trials, she did so with a time of 21.61s, which at that time was the second-fastest time recorded by a woman. Later, at the Tokyo Olympics, Gabby Thomas went on to win a bronze in the 200m.

Gabby Thomas at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Gabby Thomas at the Paris Olympic Games 2024 - Source: Getty

After the Tokyo Olympics, a hamstring injury kept Gabby Thomas out of the 2022 World Championships. But she made a dominant comeback at the 2023 Championships, winning a 200m silver and the 4x100m gold.

A year later, Thomas dominated the 200m U.S Olympic Trials once again, claiming the title with a time of 21.81s to qualify for her second Olympic Games. At the Paris Olympics, the American kept her momentum going, winning her heats and semifinals with ease before a 21.83s run made her the 200m Olympic champion.

In Paris, Thomas also claimed the 4x100m and 4x400m golds, making her the only American track and field athlete to return home with three gold medals.