“Everyone knows that I am Jamaican because I do believe that that’s where I get my fast roots from.” Gabby Thomas has never sugarcoated this fact. She has been honest, rather blunt, when it comes to her connection with Jamaica. And this week, as she returned to the Caribbean country for the Grand Slam Track, she must have felt a lot more than just the excitement of the brand new event. Nostalgia, a homecoming of sorts, perhaps. Well, that eases the nerves, sure. But it doesn’t discount that she has a new battle to cater to in Kingston. Yes, Gabby Thomas is spicing things up on the track this time. Any guesses as to what that is?

“@grandslamtrack here I come,” Gabby Thomas dropped just the perfect reaction just before she headed off to Jamaica. Even last year, she’d hailed the vision behind the event saying, “Michael’s vision is incredibly exciting, and I can’t wait to give the millions of track fans around the world even more chances to watch us compete.” Clearly, she loves the sound of this new initiative. No wonder she’s trying to bring up a new side of herself to the track, too.

In the pre-event Grand Slam Track conference, Gabby Thomas was questioned on her decision to trade the shorter sprints for the longer distances this time. She said, “I mean, it was actually a very tough decision for me to make, and I think I’m doing the long sprints because it’s an opportunity for me to compete with the greatest. I mean, I have two of the greatest 400-meter runners in track and field right now to compete against, and I think it’ll be just great preparation for me, great practice.”

Yes, you heard that right. Gabby Thomas is set to run the women’s long sprint races, aka the 200 and 400m distance, on day 1 and day 2 at the National Stadium in Kingston. While the 200m is no shocker, after all, she is the Olympic champion in that distance, the 400m is quite a surprise. But looks like this isn’t just a trail for Gabby Thomas. She also opened future possibilities in the Conference, saying, “I think a lot of people do see me as a 400-meter sprinter, so I’m going to train for it and see what happens.”

Well, the last time Gabby Thomas ran a 400-meter race was in April 2024 at the LSU Alumni Gold meet, where she finished first. But yes, that was the only 400-meter race she ran that whole season. This was one less than  2023, when she ran for a silver at the USATF NYC Grand Prix and gold at the Texas Invitational. But we do have a reason to worry about, besides her historical intermittent presence in these races. We think she might be out of touch with this distance. Wondering how?

Well, we keep an eye on the stats like a hawk. Not even a week ago, at the Texas Relays 2025, Gabby Thomas was part of Team USA in the women’s 4x400m relay invitational. She ran the second leg in the race, and while that was good, it wasn’t enough for her to steer the team to a gold win against the international names. So that might be a little problematic here. Considering that we have pros running the 400 this weekend like Marileidy Paulino, Nickisha Pryce, etc. So will Thomas match up or note? We’ll have to wait to see. But till then, here’s what she’s saying about returning to the GST in Jamaica.

Gabby Thomas’ homecoming to Jamaica for the GST

In the pre Grand Slam Track Press conference, Gabby Thomas was also questioned on her Jamaican roots. “You also have Jamaican heritage, and you mentioned that there would be family members watching you. Does this feel like a home meet?” asked a reporter. And here’s what Gabby Thomas said: “It does.”

The 3x Olympic medalist further explained, “I do have a lot of people showing up for me here on the island, and obviously, the fan base is incredible. I mean, they do cheer for all of us, but I do feel like it’s home here. My dad, my grandpa, and all of my cousins and aunts will be at the meet cheering me on, so I can’t wait.”

Well, for those who didn’t know, Gabby Thomas has familial roots in Jamaica. Her grandfather is Jamaican and he resides in the country itself. And Thomas’ dad, even though he didn’t grow up in Jamaica, he is Jamaican and loved the culture, bringing it home to “make sure that I was proud to be Jamaican.” 

All of these aspects, a lesser raced event and her Jamaican connections, are truly building the hype for Gabby Thomas’ Grand Slam Track debut!