Harvard's Gabby Thomas admits she may go pro early

I thought she already was pro. Hasn't she been racing in Nike all summer.

She faster than Mclaughlin. Should get a big payday.

Go Gabby! Wherever she goes she will be a rockstar.

Sydthekid wrote:

I thought she already was pro. Hasn't she been racing in Nike all summer.

She faster than Mclaughlin. Should get a big payday.

I know it's not as easy since she's a 200/400 runner and not a 400h runner like Syney M but if I was her I wouldn't go pro unless the money was HUGE. Next year, she could really set the NCAA on fire in the 200/400 and get even more money from the company's that miss out on Sydney M.

Rojo

PS. I wouldn't say she's faster than Sydney M. Syndey right now (at least at 400) as Sydney has run 50.07 but it's very comparable at 400. Gabby split 49.44 which is slower than Sydney's 50.07 open but Gabby wasn't even training for the 400 so I think she has that type of potential. Yes at 200, she beat her indoors.

If she turns pro, can she be referred to without Harvard before her name?

schiklgruber wrote:

If she turns pro, can she be referred to without Harvard before her name?

Screw Hah-vud, she don't need no stinkin' degree.

rojo wrote:

Sydthekid wrote:

I thought she already was pro. Hasn't she been racing in Nike all summer.

She faster than Mclaughlin. Should get a big payday.

I know it's not as easy since she's a 200/400 runner and not a 400h runner like Syney M but if I was her I wouldn't go pro unless the money was HUGE. Next year, she could really set the NCAA on fire in the 200/400 and get even more money from the company's that miss out on Sydney M.

Rojo

She was interviewed by Flotrack last week. She said she's still debating on whether or not to go back to NCAA competition this year and will decide sometime in the next few weeks. Regardless, this is the last race for her 2018 season before taking "at least a month" break. She's already raced over 42 times this year.

Personally, I don't think it would be wise for her to go pro now. I don't think she has the consistency needed to be competitive on the pro circuit right now. I'm amazed she qualified for the DL final, but I guess a lot of the competition took the year off since there aren't any major championships this year. She should enjoy the rest of her collegiate career, even if Harvard doesn't necessarily provide the best accommodations for an elite sprinter (which she ranted about at one point on Twitter before deleting it).

Also, I think she should just focus on the 200m, only dabbling in the 60m/100m or 400m for training purposes. The 60m/100m can help her work on her start as she's just all end speed, and the 400m can help with endurance. I don't think it would be wise for her to go after the 200/400 double at NCAAs with 2019 being a World Championships year. The USA has plenty of talent across all of the sprints, but I think her best chance at making Team USA would be in the 200m (and maybe as an alternate for the 4x400). I hope Harvard doesn't keep putting her into the LJ or TJ for team points at Heps and try to keep her race count down. They have plenty of sprinting and jumping depth (especially with their incoming freshman class this year).

C/M Runner wrote:

Personally, I don't think it would be wise for her to go pro now. I don't think she has the consistency needed to be competitive on the pro circuit right now. I'm amazed she qualified for the DL final, but I guess a lot of the competition took the year off since there aren't any major championships this year. She should enjoy the rest of her collegiate career, even if Harvard doesn't necessarily provide the best accommodations for an elite sprinter (which she ranted about at one point on Twitter before deleting it).

I'm not surprised she made the DL finale. She won in Lausanne in 22.19 (but that wasn't a DL event). She got 2nd in London, etc. She has as many DL points as Dafne Schippers in the 200. And that's only scoring in 3 events.

Shericka Jackson leads the DL points this year. Thomas has beaten her 2 of the three times they've raced this year.

Unless she gets a huge payday, tell Harvard no more triple jumping or whatever it sounds like she's doing, come back and dominant 200/400

wejo wrote:

I'm not surprised she made the DL finale. She won in Lausanne in 22.19 (but that wasn't a DL event).

She won Lausanne in 22.47, which wasn't a DL event. That 22.19 came when she was a runner-up to Jenna Prandini at the London DL event. ;-)

I've asked this before in other threads, but how many other potentially returning NCAA athletes have ever qualified for a DL final (regardless of which event)? I don't mean recent grads, but ones who still had eligibility remaining.

As a Harvard graduate, her earning potential would be far higher than her track potential would indicate.

zxcvzxcv wrote:

As a Harvard graduate, her earning potential would be far higher than her track potential would indicate.

Maybe... It would sure be nice to know how much track athletes really make!

What is up with the use of the word "admits" in the title of this thread. This word implies there is something criminal or immoral about going pro. Admits is the appropriate word to use in a statement such as "OJ Simpson admits he killed his wife". How about a more neutral word like "acknowledges".

so much this. you americans are such a mess internalising your college athletics slavery