"I didn't think I was going to make a sustainable living running track"- Gabby Thomas gets real about massive shift brought about by Athlos NYC

Gabby Thomas opened up about the massive changes brought about by Athlos in the track and field circuit. The Olympic gold medalist reflected on the prize money offered to track athletes previously during meets and expressed that she did not think that could make a sustainable living while competing on the global track circuit.

Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, launched a women-only track meet after the Paris Olympics, which featured some of the best athletes in the world, followed by a first-of-its-kind performance by Megan Thee Stallion, giving an incredible experience to the fans. Moreover, along with a transformation in the format, Athlos offered the highest prize money ever in a track meet in their inaugural edition, which stood at $60,000 for the winner of one event, $25,000 for the silver medalist, and $10,000 for the third place.

In the second edition of the meet, Athlos announced $250,000 as a world record bonus to the athletes. Gabby Thomas spoke about the shift brought about by Athlos and expressed that it was something that she could never have thought about. Initially, she felt that she could not make a sustainable living as a track athlete; however, with Athlos offering a hike in the prize money, several leagues have stepped up, and the change that they were looking for was finally happening.

It is something that I have not experienced before. To me, it's just groundbreaking to have the sport set up in a way where it is built for women. I was one of the fastest women in the country, and I didn't think I was going to make a sustainable living running track and field, and when it happened, I couldn't believe it. To have something like this to look at, to aspire to is crazy," she said.

Furthermore, Gabby Thomas expressed that it has motivated the athletes to push themselves out of their comfort zone and look forward to competing against a global audience.

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This is a developing article and will be updated soon.

Edited by Adityan Pillai