Gabby Thomas: US trackstar releases statement after failing to recognise Usain Bolt, Noah Lyles

U.S. Olympic champion Gabby Thomas has issued an apology after failing to identify baby photographs of track legends Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles during a promotional video for the upcoming Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

The 29-year-old sprinter faced criticism online after the "Olympics" social media accounts posted a video challenging athletes to guess the identities of their peers from childhood photos.

Thomas quickly and accurately identified athletes such as Swedish pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis and American hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone but failed to recognise Bolt and Lyles, laughing during the exchange.

The contrast in her responses sparked a frenzy on social media, with critics accusing her of easily recognising white athletes while failing to identify prominent Black athletes, leading some users to question her connection to her Black heritage.

Thomas addressed the controversy on Monday, September 14, releasing a statement on X to apologise for the oversight after facing significant online pressure.

"I normally wouldn't respond, but my comments and DMs are being flooded on every social platform," Thomas revealed.

"I fear I really upset my community," she added.

"I want to genuinely apologise to everyone I upset for not recognising Usain Bolt in his baby photo the other day on the Olympics social media video," Thomas stated.

"I shouldn’t have laughed about it either; I am so embarrassed. I promise to unpack this and will do better."

The five-time Olympic medallist further addressed the cultural criticism, emphasising the impact Black track athletes had on her career.

"I grew up watching Usain Bolt among many other Black track athletes," she explained.

"They inspired me and showed my generation of athletes what Black excellence looks like (on and off the track)," Thomas continued.

Thomas defended her knowledge of her peers while expressing regret for the misidentification.

"I know what he and Noah look like, their baby photos just stumped me," she clarified. But they shouldn’t have; I would choose to be Black in every lifetime," Thomas concluded.

The promotional video was released as part of the build-up to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, which will mark the first Olympic event ever hosted on the African continent.