“All that takes is a will and dollars.” With that bold statement, the purple track at the Stade de France just got a whole lot more exciting, especially for women speed stars like Gabby Thomas, thanks to Alexis Ohanian—the Reddit co-founder and husband of Serena Williams! This savvy entrepreneur caught the Paris Olympics athletics fever before the events even kicked off, and he’s ready to throw some serious dollars into the women’s events yet again, but with one condition!

Straight from “The Happiest Place on Earth,” aka Disneyland Paris, Ohanian announced on August 2, 2024, “Olympic Track & Field starts today (good luck, @vmfraley!) 🥇And to the 36 women running my @athlos NYC event Sept 26 for a record-breaking top prize of $60K—I’ll also pay you $60K if you win a gold medal here in #Paris2024💪.”

Alexis Ohanian is bringing some serious heat to the NYC track scene with his meet, Athlos, where the prize money is no joke. We’re talking $60,000 for first place, $25,000 for second, and $10,000 for third. But wait, there’s more! Ohanian’s bonus for an Olympic gold makes the Athlos track meet, formerly known as the 776 Invitational, all the more glamorous.

Athlos has a three-fold plan: simplifying, limiting, and dazzling. First, it’s all about the ladies—only women compete. Second, it’s all track: 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 100-meter hurdles, 800 meters, and 1,500 meters. Finally, the roster is packed with stars. We’ve got Gabby Thomas, the American women’s 200 meters phenom, Alexis Holmes tearing up the 400 meters, and Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon dominating the 1,500 meters. Joining them are speedsters like Lieke Klaver and Torrie Lewis. With 36 athletes ready to blaze the track, Athlos is set to be a showstopper!

But Alexis Ohanian isn’t the only one making massive investments in women’s track and field. So, what does this mean for an athlete like Gabby Thomas?

Gabby Thomas’ golden glory could secure the ultimate money bag after the Paris Olympics!

Gabby Thomas is Athlos’ first athlete, and by the time Athlos NYC launches, she’s likely to be a household name. She holds the world-leading time in the women’s 200m in 2024 with an impressive 21.78 seconds, clocked at Hayward Field, Eugene. This makes her the favorite to win gold, edging out phenoms like Shericka Jackson, Mckenzie Long, and Julien Alfred. So, what could her prize purse look like if she wins gold at the Paris Olympics?

World Athletics is offering $50,000 to gold medalists. Ohanian is throwing in an extra $60,000, which is $10,000 more than the global governing body. Former NFL stars Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson are each planning to pay $25,000 to Team USA track athletes who win gold.

When they learned the Olympic Committee pays U.S. athletes $37,500 for gold, $22,500 for silver, and $15,000 for bronze, they felt the need to step in. As Johnson put it on their podcast Nightcap, “You bust your a** for four years straight to represent our country, and the payout saying, ‘Thank you for the work you put in,’ is 37 f****ng thousand. Come on, man.”

Sharpe also promised an extra $50,000 to any Team USA track athlete who breaks a world record at the 2024 Games. FloJo’s world record in the 200m is 21.34 seconds, and Gabby ran 21.60 last year. So, if Gabby wins gold in the 200m, she could be looking at a cool $197,500 from World Athletics, the USOPC, Alexis Ohanian, Shannon Sharpe, and Chad Ochocinco. This does not include the additional bonus she might get as a New Balance-sponsored athlete.

With investors stepping up, Gabby Thomas could be sitting on a gold mine of nearly $200K after her 200m run at the Paris Olympics. What do you think about this blazing opportunity for the American track and field star and Alexis Ohanian’s new power move? Share your thoughts in the comments below!