Gabby Thomas’ Olympics withdrawal raises new concerns as another US sprinter gives medical update

Gabrielle Thomas will not run in Tokyo’s World Athletics Championships scheduled from September 13 to 21, 2025. She has withdrawn because of a long-standing Achilles tendon injury that began in May and worsened in July.

Despite qualifying by finishing third at the U.S. Championships on August 3, 2025, her injury did not allow enough time to heal, forcing her to step back. Thomas, 28, had won three gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 200 meters and in both relays (4×100 m and 4×400 m).

Gabrielle Thomas withdraws from Tokyo World Championships to focus on injury recovery

Gabrielle “Gabby” Thomas has faced this injury since May, and by July, it got worse. Even though she placed third in the 200 m at the U.S. trials by just one-thousandth of a second, she knew she couldn’t risk it.

“It’s okay to be human and take care of myself,” she said, adding, “As an athlete you always want to keep grinding, but sometimes you simply can’t outwork an injury. Sometimes it’s about patience and making the right decision for the long term. All the best to my Team USA teammates fighting for medals in Tokyo.”Her decision leaves a big hole in the U.S. sprint roster. At the Paris Games, she helped lead Team USA in both individual and relay events, making her absence a notable blow.

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McKenzie Long replaces Gabrielle Thomas in Team USA for Tokyo World Championships

McKenzie Long is the athlete who now earns a spot on Team USA for the Tokyo championships. Earlier this year, on July 12, 2025, she ran a stunning 21.93 seconds in the women’s 200 m at the Ed Murphey Track Classic in Memphis, Tennessee, earning a world No. 2 time for the season.At the U.S. Championships, she finished fifth in the 200 m with the same 22.20 seconds that Gabrielle Thomas had run to place third, putting her just behind the original qualifiers. With Thomas out, Long moves into a spot on the roster and gets a chance to represent the U.S. in Tokyo.McKenzie Long ran collegiately for Ole Miss and has been strong all season. She reached the final at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 200 m and earned her Tokyo slot with consistency and speed.