Gabby Thomas Reveals One of Her Biggest Weaknesses Despite Coach’s Warnings
Triple Olympic champion Gabby Thomas has opened up about a persistent weakness in her racing technique, despite her coach, Tonja Buford-Bailey, offering repeated advice to help her overcome it.
Known for her perfectionist mindset, Thomas has been constantly analyzing every aspect of her races, often bombarding her coach with questions after each performance. While this level of detail is typical for many top athletes, Buford-Bailey has cautioned against overthinking, explaining that it could hinder Thomas’ ability to perform in subsequent races. As Buford-Bailey reminds her, focusing too much on perfection is an unrealistic pursuit, and sometimes, progress comes in small, incremental steps.
Gabby Thomas’ Perfectionism and Drive Phase Struggles
In an exclusive interview with Guardian Sport, Thomas admitted her tendency to obsess over the finer details of her races. She explained that she often talks to her coach about her performances, but Buford-Bailey urges her not to get too caught up in the analysis.
“I am very type A and into analysing how I run. I’ll talk to my coach about it over and over again. She tells me to try not to get wrapped up into it all the time,” Thomas confessed. “Because when you’re overthinking you do start to run slow. But the drive phase, in particular, is something we practise over and over again, meticulously. It’s very, very technical but it sets you up for the entire race.”
The drive phase, which is the crucial first phase of a sprint, is an area where Thomas has struggled to achieve perfection. However, she has dedicated herself to refining this aspect of her technique, knowing it is vital to the success of her entire race.
Targeting the 200m World Record After Perfecting Her Technique
As the 200m world silver medalist, Thomas is eyeing Florence Griffith-Joyner’s legendary 200m world record of 21.34 seconds, set during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. However, she acknowledges that mastering the technical aspects of her race, particularly the first 100m, is key to any future success in her pursuit of that record.
“If I can get that part even stronger, I will be really, really hard to beat. When you look at Flo-Jo’s 200m world record her second 100m is insane, astronomical in fact,” Thomas explained. “So that’s what you really want to do: your first 100m is setting you up to have an unreal second one.”
By strengthening her start, Thomas believes she can not only improve her overall performance but also potentially challenge some of the fastest times ever recorded in the 200m.
Gabby Thomas’ relentless focus on perfecting every element of her race proves her dedication, but it’s clear that finding the right balance of analysis and execution will be critical as she aims to leave her mark in the history books.
