Gabby Thomas, a three-time Olympic champion, has issued an apology after a social media video in which she failed to recognize a baby photo of sprint legend Usain Bolt went viral.
The video featured Thomas participating in a challenge to identify track and field stars from their childhood pictures. While she correctly identified herself, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Keely Hodgkinson, and Armand Duplantis, she was unable to recognize Noah Lyles or Bolt, widely regarded as the greatest sprinter of all time.
Upon being told the child in the photo was Bolt, who went on to win eight Olympic gold medals, Thomas expressed surprise, stating, "I would have never guessed this!"
The clip garnered over 2.9 million views, with many social media users pointing out that Thomas had no difficulty identifying the younger versions of white athletes in the challenge. This led to Thomas addressing the situation directly.
"I want to genuinely apologize to everyone I upset for not recognizing Usain Bolt in his baby photo the other day on the Olympics social media video," Thomas wrote in a statement. "I shouldn’t have laughed about it either. I am so embarrassed. I promise to unpack this and will do better."
She added, "I grew up watching Usain Bolt among many other Black track athletes. They inspired me and showed my generation of athletes what Black excellence looks like (on and off the track). I know what he and Noah look like- their baby photos just stumped me. But they shouldn’t have."
Thomas stated that she felt compelled to respond due to the overwhelming number of comments and direct messages she received across social platforms, expressing concern that she had deeply upset her community. She emphasized her admiration for Bolt and other Black athletes, stating, "I would choose to be black in every lifetime."