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Gabby Thomas confronted a heckler online after a man posted multiple videos on social media that showed him shouting disparaging remarks, including racial comments, directed at the three-time Olympic gold medalist at a recent track event.
He claimed the heckling helped him win an online wager.
Thomas competed at a Grand Slam Track event in Philadelphia over the weekend, finishing second in the 200-meter sprint and fourth in the 100-meter sprint. But her performance was seemingly overshadowed by the chaos that unfolded at the track.
A man on X posted a video that appeared to show him in the stands near the starting line shouting several messages at Thomas.
“Don’t choke, Gabby, like you did yesterday,” he says in the video he posted online. “You a choke artist. You going down, Gabby.”
The man in the video can also be heard criticizing Thomas for being engaged to a “White guy.” He posted the video on X, claiming, “I made Gabby lose by heckling her. And it made my parlay win.” He also posted a screenshot of a $1,000 wager placed on FanDuel.
“This grown man followed me around the track as I took pictures and signed autographs for fans (mostly children) shouting personal insults- anybody who enables him online is gross,” she said in response to the man’s post.
Thomas responded to other users on social media claiming the man “pulled out his phone to harass and record me.”
“It’s fine he’s just sick. But that’s just my opinion, let it go,” she added in the same post.
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The man posted another video and other posts countering Thomas’ claims. In the video, Thomas appears to respond to him by asking, “What are you doing here?” Thomas then walks away smiling before making a heart gesture with her hands.
Grand Slam Track released a statement to Front Office Sports after those events announcing it was investigating the heckler for “reprehensible behavior.”
“Grand Slam Track is conducting a full investigation into the reprehensible behavior captured on video,” spokesperson Callum Squires said in a statement. “We are working to identify the individual involved and will take appropriate action as necessary. We will implement additional safeguards to help prevent incidents like this in the future. Let us be clear, despicable behavior like this will not be tolerated.”
FanDuel also told ESPN the bettor has been banned from using its platform.
“FanDuel condemns in the strongest terms abusive behavior directed towards athletes,” a spokesperson told the outlet. “Threatening or harassing athletes is unacceptable and has no place in sports. This customer is no longer able to wager with FanDuel.”
Despite the interaction, Thomas posted another message on X thanking her supporters.
“Grateful beyond words for the love and support!! Especially this week. My supporters remind me why I keep showing up. Thank you, truly.”
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