Tensions within Team USA’s training camp were suggested by stories of a bitter fight between Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson before the Paris Olympics.
Athletes frequently fight at the camp, particularly when tensions are high before important competitions.
But almost four months after the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, a recent incident involving two of Team USA’s biggest stars, Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson, has sparked controversy once more.
Prior to the competition, the two sprinters, who had previously engaged in some public arguments, reportedly got into a violent altercation at a training camp.
For years, Thomas and Richardson have been at odds, and their hostility has been stoked by a number of public incidents.
Richardson’s suspension from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 due to a positive marijuana test resulted in a tumultuous relationship with Thomas, who was offended by the negative publicity Richardson received.
Thomas expressed her worries about people skipping the Olympics in support of Richardson when she was busy getting ready for the Tokyo Games.
“Seeing so many Black people decide not to watch this year’s Olympics is incredibly upsetting. Myself and many other Black athletes have worked really hard for years to reach this point. “We need your help,” she said.
Richardson returned to the track stronger after the controversy surrounding her suspension, winning a silver medal in the women’s 100-meter final at the Olympics in Paris.
Although Thomas, the Paris 200-meter gold medalist, has been in the news a lot, it seems like the rivalry between the two competitors has never really gone away.
Reports of a furious altercation between Thomas and Richardson during a Team USA training camp surfaced in August 2023.
Sources close to the camp claim that the athletes’ arguments grew more heated, especially when it came to squad selection and training plans.
According to a camp insider, Thomas became irate when Dennis Mitchell’s trained athletes, including Richardson, consistently failed to show up for training sessions on time.
According to the insider, “it progressed from okay to now they are doing it on purpose.
Additionally, they wanted Kayla Davis to participate in the relay as she is now running with Dennis Mitchell instead of Dwayne Rossi. They also wanted Sha’Carri and Twanisha Terry to run.
The situation changed when it was reported that Richardson said that only runners who competed in the 100-meter event should be included on the relay squad. Thomas did not agree with this statement.
Thomas apparently scolded Richardson for her actions in an effort to ease the tension, but things did not instantly get better.
After giving the situation some thought, Thomas later wrote a message distancing herself from the turmoil on her TikTok.
“Life is too short to be anxious, and if you’re fighting with me, you’re fighting with yourself,” she remarked.
Reports of an altercation between coaches participating in the training camp, specifically between Mitchell and another unidentified coach, further fueled the flames.
According to reports, the problems were severe enough to interfere with the camp’s ability to prepare for the next World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, and maintain unity.
One insider claimed that “there’s a lot of unresolved animosity between some of the athletes and coaches right now.”
“It might cost them if they don’t get it right before the World Championships.
