"Umm wow!"- Gabby Thomas reacts to Coco Gauff becoming the USA opening ceremony flag bearer for the Paris Olympics 2024

American sprinter Gabby Thomas recently reacted to tennis star Coco Gauff being chosen as one of the two flag bearers of the United States during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The opening ceremony of the quadrennial games will be held on July 26 on the Seine River and will include a floating parade of boats.

Gauff was announced as the female flag bearer, thus becoming the first tennis player ever to receive the honor of carrying the USA flag at the Summer Games. On July 26, the reigning US Open champion will join basketball legend LeBron James in holding the United States flag during the opening ceremony.

Thomas took to her Instagram story to congratulate the World No. 2 on being chosen as the flag bearer for the Paris Olympics, stating:

“Umm woww!!!! Congrats @cocogauff 🙌🏾🤩”

Gabby Thomas' reaction to Coco Gauff becoming flag bearer via Instagram story

In addition to being the flag bearer, Coco Gauff will be leading the USA tennis contingent as she will not just feature in the women’s singles but also play the women’s doubles being paired with compatriot Jessica Pegula.

Meanwhile, Gabby Thomas is entering in the Paris Olympics as a frontrunner to win the gold medal in the women’s 200m, having delivered noteworthy performances in the 2024 season. At the last edition of the Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Thomas bagged the bronze medal in the individual 200m bronze and contributed to the USA’s silver medal victory in the women’s 4x100m relay event.

Gabby Thomas and Coco Gauff have developed close friendship over the past few years

Gabby Thomas and Coco Gauff have become close friends over the past years. They respond to each other’s social media posts often.

Following winning the U.S. Olympic trials, Thomas shared a post on ‘Going to the Olympics’ on Instagram. Gauff responded to this post, adding:

“yesss congrats ❤️❤️❤️”

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Earlier in December 2023, in an interaction with an Instagram influencer and marathoner, Thomas revealed Coco Gauff as her female crush, stating:

“Coco Gauff. She was just named the highest-paid female athlete. She's so relatable and down-to-earth. I also just love that she dominates a white-dominated sport as a Black woman. She does it with such grace. Young girls can look up to her as a role model and just believe in themselves.”

Both Thomas and Gauff are among the athletes to watch out for as they represent the USA at the Paris Olympics.