WATCH: Gabby Thomas suffers shocking upset from Brittany Brown in her first race after winning three Olympic gold medals in Paris at Athlos NYC

Gabby Thomas faced defeat to fellow US sprinter and Olympian Brittany Brown in the 200m race at Athlos NYC. Thomas stepped into the women-only track event as the co-organizer, fresh off her successful Paris Olympic campaign.

Gabby Thomas walked home from the Paris Games as the most successful US track athlete, winning the 200m, 4x100m, and 4x400m relay events. Earlier in 2024, the 27-year-old partnered with Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian to invest in a women-only track event, the 776 Invitational, which promised a higher prize purse and visibility to deserving women athletes.

Now named Athlos, the track event kicked off on September 26, 2024. Thomas lined up with the World and Olympic championships in the 200m but faced a hard loss to Olympic bronze medalist, Brittany Brown. Despite a strong start, Thomas struggled to close the gap and surpass Brown (22.18s) before the finish line.

An hour before the 200m race at Icahn Stadium, Brown won the silver in the 100m behind Marie Jose Ta Lou-Smith (10.98s) in a season's best time of 11.05s.

Despite losing the 200m gold podium, Gabby Thomas shared that the event was more like a celebration of women athletes

, for which she and her team have worked relentlessly in 2024.

"This is just a great celebration of all the hard work we’ve put in this season, all the work that’s been done to support and invest in women’s sports. This is really showcasing that.” (via CITIUS Mag)

She weighed in on the success of Athlos NYC in the coming years as well.

"Women showing up to the line and then just competing. This is such a great event and I think we can continue. We can do this."

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Gabby Thomas's reaction to Wanda Diamond League's surged prize money from 2025

Gabby Thoma celebrates her team's gold medal win in the Women's 4 x 400m Relay at the Paris Games 2024 - Source: Getty

After the 776 Invitational promised to offer six times the prize money than the Diamond League to the race winners, Wanda Diamond League also announced an almost 30% increase in its prize money (effective from 2025). Gabby Thomas, who has always been vocal about pay disparities and recognition of track and field in the US, celebrated the competitiveness of track leagues and how her sport is being driven forward.

"I mean I think it's amazing to see the competition and how it's driving the sport forward. Like you have this meet and other initiatives and the Diamond League reacting to that, we have been wanting that for so long now. And now we have that support to make it happen and so I mean I think it's a special time for track and field. It's special for women's track, but especially track and field," she said. (via FloTrack)

The Athlos NYC was Gabby Thomas' final event of the 2024 season. The other athletes who unfurled victory at Icahn Stadium are Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (100m hurdles), Faith Kipyegon (1500m) Tsige Duguma (800m), and Marileidy Paulino (400m).