Gabby Thomas Apologizes For Not Recognizing Usain Bolt & Other Black Runners’ Baby Photos After Backlash

The World Athletics Championships just wrapped up in Budapest, Hungary, and it’s landed Gabby Thomas in hot water.

The Team USA track star was participating in an Olympics social media video where she was asked to identify other famous runners’ baby photos.

The only problem is she couldn’t seem to identify the fastest man alive, Usain Bolt. Bolt’s photo is the first shown, and from the jump, Thomas is clueless.

“I have no idea who this person is. Can I get a hint? What country?” Thomas says while laughing. 

Even after someone clues her in that he’s considered the GOAT, she’s unable to come up with a name. Once she finds out it’s Bolt, she laughs again and calls the photo “adorable.”

Thomas has no problem correctly guessing other runners like Keely Hodgkinson, Mondo Duplantis, and Sydney McLaughlin within a second of seeing their photo.

She also had trouble guessing Noah Lyles —who’s in a photo with his mom— and is shocked to learn it’s him.

Social media immediately took issue with Thomas knowing all the white runners and neither of the two Black ones.

The backlash was so overwhelming that Monday morning Thomas apologized on X for how she handled the moment.

“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,” she began. “I shouldn’t have laughed about it either. I am so embarrassed. I promise to unpack this and will do better.”

She continued that, despite not recognizing Bolt, he and other Black athletes played a pivotal role in her track and field upbringing.

“I grew up watching Usain Bolt among many other Black track athletes,” she continued. “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. I would choose to be black in every lifetime.”

The bubbly Thomas said she normally wouldn’t respond to the negativity, but her DMs and comments have blown up so much that she feared she “really upset my community.”

And still, the apology isn’t landing well with some. See the reactions below.