Gabby Thomas on rise of women’s sports in Paris; equitable investment and visible pathways for girls
Gabby Thomas on the rise of women’s sports: “People are waking up to the fact that women’s sports are an excellent product”
Gabby Thomas on the rise of women’s sports: “People are waking up to the fact that women’s sports are an excellent product”
The three-time Paris 2024 gold medallist believes the growth of women’s sport is helping to challenge deep-rooted societal norms — and wants the next generation of girls to no longer have to fight simply to be seen.
Gabby Thomas says the surge of interest in women’s sports goes beyond visibility, and is changing what young girls believe is possible.
In an interview with WWD , the U.S. athletics star said the most exciting part of the shift has been “the impact that the rise of women’s sports is having on challenging societal norms and inspiring future generations.”
Thomas, who won three gold medals at Paris 2024 in the 200m, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay, reflected on how different that was from her own experience growing up.
“I know for myself, growing up, it was rare to be a little girl and have professional athlete aspirations, whereas my male counterparts were allowed to have that dream,” she said. “They had the encouragement and the representation — it was in our face constantly as consumers of media.
“Now, women are getting that too, deservedly so. It’s reshaping perceptions, receiving it for our work and talent, but also people are waking up to the fact that women’s sports are an excellent product. In my sport, I would argue it’s an even stronger product than the men’s. Just kidding — kind of!”
Gabby Thomas: “Society has spoken — we’re all interested”
The 29-year-old, who also won 200m bronze and 4x100m relay silver at Tokyo 2020 , pointed to athletes’ growing presence in areas outside of sport as another factor driving visibility. She highlighted everything from tunnel walkouts in basketball and volleyball to the content athletes share directly with fans on their own platforms.
“Not only do we see women dominate on the courts, fields, tracks, and pools — but women athletes are crushing it in fashion, beauty and lifestyle,” Thomas said. “There is just so much personality to tap into, and society has spoken — we’re all interested.”
Asked what she hopes comes next, Thomas said the focus should be on creating greater access and opportunity.
“I hope the future of women’s sports is that girls and women don’t have to fight to be seen or push so hard for opportunities,” she said. “I would love to see equitable investment in women’s sports and a visible pathway where young girls don’t have to question whether or not pursuing athletic dreams is even a viable career path.”