Gabby Thomas on how Jefferson-Wooden's Tokyo clean sweep fuels her drive: 'Iron Sharpens Iron'

Having been sidelined for most part of the 2025 season due to an injury, Gabby Thomas is motivated for year 2026, which is partly fueled by Melissa Jefferson-Wooden's historic sprint double at the Tokyo 2025 World Championships.

One of the memorable moments of the 2025 athletics season was the historic outing of Melissa Jefferson-Wooden at the World Championships in Tokyo, which has now become fuel for her compatriot Gabby Thomas in her career goals.

Jefferson-Wooden made history in Tokyo by achieving a rare sprint double - winning both the 100m and 200m world titles—a first for an American woman at the event.

Unfortunately for Thomas, she had a busier season off the track than on it, as the American competed through an Achilles tendon injury for much of the season, eventually withdrawing from the world championships.

While Thomas was focused on recovery and rehab, Jefferson-Wooden dominated the women's sprint division before her historic sprint double in Tokyo.

"I think it was incredibly impressive," Thomas said of Jefferson-Wooden's performance in an interview with Olympics.com at the 2025 Women's Sports Foundation gala. "It's never easy to win a singular individual sprint event, much less two."

The reigning Olympic 200m champion was not surprised by her teammate's success, noting the immense effort that goes on behind the scenes.

"A lot of people see us in track and field and think that we come up out of nowhere, but behind the scenes there's a lot of work that goes into it," she added.

When asked if Jefferson-Wooden's success fuels her own competitive drive for 2026 and the LA 2028 Olympics, Thomas was emphatic.

"There is always a fire for me," she replied. "When you see your competitors doing something special, it pushes you. Iron sharpens iron. I've been in the midst of very intense, incredible competitors since I got into the sport."

"The women in our sport are incredibly talented, and have been traditionally," she added. "I think we're all just making each other better. And yeah, I mean... there's definitely some competitive energy."

With renewed motivation for the 2026 season, the 29-year-old sprint queen is eager to return to her best form. She has expressed her intention to run the 400 meters more often, believing it will provide an opportunity to explore her true capabilities.