Reigning 200m Olympic Champion Gabby Suffers Insults by Gambler at Philadelphia Meeting

American sprinter Gabrielle “Gabby” Thomas has reported numerous instances of verbal abuse during an outdoor athletic event in Philadelphia, as the rise of betting has been connected to sportspeople’s abuse.

Photo: Gabby Thomas on podium at Paris Olympics (youtube.com/@Olympics)

In the most recent instance of harassment she has reported this year, three-time Olympic champion Gabby Thomas claimed she was verbally harassed during the 2025 Philadelphia Slam, an outdoor track and field competition that took place at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 31 to June 1, 2025, last weekend. In a post on X, Thomas, the gold medalist in the 200-meter sprint and 4×100-, and 4×400-meter relays in Paris 2024, said that a man had been yelling obscenities at her as she was posing for pictures with fans and signing autographs.

Social Media User Bragged Winning Bet on FanDuel Thanks to Hackling Thomas

In reaction to another post on X that had a video of someone jeering at Thomas when she was on the starting line and yelling, “You’re a choke artist—you’re going down, Gabby,” Thomas made her own post. “I heckled Gabby, which caused her to lose,” the social media user posted a screenshot of two multi-leg bets on the FanDuel sportsbook platform along with the caption, “And it made my parlay win.”

The current Olympic 100m bronze medalist and the biggest favorite to win by odds of dollar betting sites, Melissa Jefferson-Wood, won a 200m race in Philly, with Thomas ending fourth.

A request for comment from the organizers of the third meet of the 2025 Grand Slam Track season wasn’t immediately answered.

Thomas Suffers Darker Side of Fame Following Paris Success

Following her breakthrough performance in Paris, Thomas shot to global celebrity, making appearances on American talk shows and the cover of American Vogue. However, as social media increases the visibility of female athletes, Thomas has also experienced the negative aspects of celebrity. This year, she wrote on TikTok about being stalked by a gang of males at many airports.

A rising connection between sports betting and harassment is again evident after the 2025 Philadelphia Slam incident, as female athletes, like Caroline Garcia, a French former professional tennis player, blamed “unhealthy betting” as the biggest issue.