Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian sets the bar high for second edition of Athlos following Gabby Thomas' praise

Serena Williams' husband and Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian raised the expectations for the second edition of the Athlos track meet after a blockbuster first edition. The inaugural edition of the women's only league was held last year in New York with three-time Olympic champion Gabby Thomas being one of the star athletes to grace the event.

Ohanian and Thomas were speaking at the 21 Tiger conference when the sprinter showered high praise on the league and termed it the future of women in sports.

"As athletes, we felt so appreciated. Every small detail was done with us in mind to create something with longevity. As Alexis said, those things get us excited about competing about being in the sport...Having an event and investment like Athlos that is different, that is innovative, that's actually thinking along the lines of what a sporting event should look like. I mean, that is the future of women in sports and that's what Athlos was," Thomas added.

Thomas' words were shared by the official Instagram handle of Athlos, and reacting to the post, Ohanian promised to stage an even bigger event this season.

"And we’re just getting started."

Alexis Ohanian comment about Athlos

Alongside offering the highest-ever prize money to female athletes, Athlos NYC featured entertainment programs with performances from Megan Thee Stallion and DJ D-Nice.

Thomas, who helped Ohanian understand the sport and eventually set up the league, competed in the 200m in the inaugural edition. She finished second behind Brittany Brown and took home $25,000 in prize money, more than double what she earned for her London Diamond League victory earlier that season.

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Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian hypes Gabby Thomas as 'inspiration' for the sprinters

The Olympic Games Paris 2024 - Gabby Thomas in action (Source: Getty)

Gabby Thomas was inspired by seven-time Olympic champion Allyson Felix to take up the sport, and speaking in a recent interview with Athlos, the Harvard graduate praised the retired sprinter's dominance, resilience and advocacy for female athletes.

"Growing up, Allison Felix did inspire me to run. I saw myself in Allison. I saw a young black woman who was really skinny and looked a little bit different than everyone else lining up on the line. She stood for more than just a sport, and I saw someone who was really determined. I wanted to be that, and I really saw myself in that," Thomas said.

Replying to the post, a user reminded Thomas that she was also now serving as the inspiration for others just like Felix was for her.

"And now Gabby Thomas you are that for many of us," the user wrote.

Serena Williams' husband and Athlos founder Alexis Ohanian couldn't agree more and wrote:

"Hear hear."

Thomas became the first American sprinter to win the 200m Olympic title last year since Felix's 2012 London Olympics triumph. She also won gold medals in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays and would now be eyeing her first world title this year.