Gabby Thomas Turns Surprise Drug-Tester Visit Into TikTok Gold
In a TikTok video she shared Monday, the Paris Olympic triple-gold medalist was having a drink with friends at an event when a drug-tester showed up.
Anti-doping agents take their unannounced visits seriously to catch cheats. Instead of fuming over the intrusion, Thomas played it for laughs and set it to the comic song 'Me, You and Steve' ― which is basically about an unwelcome third wheel named Steve.
The video quickly panned to the smiling tester and back to Thomas going on with her socializing.
'I can't believe that it's finally me and you, and you and me/ Just us/ And your friend Steve,' the song goes.
Thomas captioned the footage 'When antidoping surprises you but you had plans.'
Click to watch it here.
The clip appears to be on the up and up. The doping control official was recognized by former Olympic swimmer Erica Sullivan, a 1500-meter silver medalist at the Beijing Games in 2021.
'Wait she's tested me before,' Sullivan wrote. 'She's the best, loved gabbing to her about her kids drama.'
Another commenter, who might have been aware of Thomas' whereabouts last fall, asked: 'What happens if you leave the country, or spending time in private areas? Like if you went to a resort in the Maldives where the island is owned by the hotel and can only be reached was sea plane transfer (you wouldn't be able to drive up and walk in without questions) for a week or two, would they come find you?'
Replied Thomas: 'If you're out of the country, they use that country's doping control officers to find you. But yeah if you go to a diff country, less likely to be tested as frequently. And I actually did vacation in the Maldives last year and I wasn't tested, so I guess they can't find you there 😂.'
Drug-testing has not always been a laughing matter for Thomas. She ran afoul of the Athletics Integrity Unit in 2020 for allegedly missing three tests and got provisionally suspended. But Thomas was able to prove her innocence in one instance and the ban was lifted.
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New York Times
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- New York Times
England 1-1 Spain AET (3-1 on pens): Wiegman gets her calls right as Lionesses win Euro 2025
England held their nerve again. England fought to the bitter end again. England are European champions yet again. In a tournament defined by never-say-die triumphs throughout, Sarina Wiegman's side went toe-to-toe with Spain for 120 minutes in Basel and then shone 12 yards to retain the European Championship crown they first won at Euro 2022, winning 3-1 on penalties after a pulsating 1-1 draw at St. Jakob-Park. Advertisement In the shootout, Hannah Hampton saved from both Mariona Caldentey and Aitana Bonmati to put England on course for their Euro 2025 coronation, with Chloe Kelly dispatching the decisive spot kick to start the party. Kelly also had a hand in England's equaliser in normal time. Spain took control of proceedings early on and their first-half dominance was rewarded when Caldentey thumped home a header from Ona Batlle's cross, finishing off a sumptuous team move. But England rolled up their socks and levelled things up just before the hour mark, with Alessia Russo rising highest to guide home a delightful delivery from Chloe Kelly. The two teams could barely be separated from there on out, with Wiegman's side keeping their cool when it mattered. Michael Cox, Laia Cervello Herrero and Tamerra Griffin break down the Euro 2025 final. Somehow, they always manage to do it. England were not the best side in this tournament. They were arguably not the better side in any of their three knockout games, although this performance against Spain was their best of that trio. They have defended their tournament in completely unconvincing fashion, and yet it's impossible not to be impressed by the relentlessness and the commitment of this side, and the depth of their squad. Spain are superior to England technically and in terms of cohesion. When they went 1-0 up, they threatened to play keep-ball and kill the game. But England refuse to let opponents kill the game. With various players clearly on their last legs and playing through the pain barrier, England struggled to create many chances — but they didn't allow Spain any either. Retaining the European Championship in this era is a hugely impressive and some of these players will go down in history. Meanwhile, winning three on the bounce for Wiegman is a truly momentous achievement, further cementing her position as the most revered manager in the women's game. Michael Cox Sarina Wiegman has a reputation for keeping her usual starting XI intact. There are rarely any major surprises for big matches. But this time around, things were different. There were three surprises, none of which proved overwhelmingly transformative, but maybe helped England to start the match strongly. Advertisement When the team sheet was released, it was a major shock to see Jess Carter recalled in the centre of defence in place of Esme Morgan. Carter struggled at both left-back against France and at centre-back against Sweden. Twice, Wiegman had swapped her with another defender to hide her shortcomings. Morgan seemed to have performed well in her place against Italy. But Carter was back in. And she performed solidly — it was the old, reliable Carter we're familiar with. She looked assured with the ball at her feet. Carter was particularly good in the second half of normal time, reading the play excellently, getting the better of Esther Gonzalez physically, and also coping with the speed of substitute Salma Paralluelo. In extra time, her last action of the game was tracking a Aitana Bonmati run and putting in a tackle that not merely dispossessed her but knocked the ball against the Spain star and won England a goal kick. Wiegman got this call right. The second surprise came in at kick-off, when Lauren Hemp lined up on the right and Lauren James on the left — the opposite of England's approach in their last four matches. Both were involved in the early stages, with James cutting drifting inside onto her right foot, and Hemp attacking Olga Carmona. Hemp had England's best chance when Cata Coll's pass for Carmona was under-hit. Hemp pounced but could only fire straight at Coll. And the third surprise was the positioning of an individual player. Lucy Bronze moved inside into midfield rather than overlapping down the flank: perhaps to give England numbers in the middle and possibly to guard against counters through the middle. This did sometimes result in England getting into difficult situations, though, with Mariona Caldentey looking to stay on the outside of Bronze and run in behind. Advertisement As it happens, the goal came from the reverse — Caldentey charging inside Bronze to head home. Michael Cox What a treat to witness two gorgeous headed goals in a final, one from each team. Spain set the trend: Athenea del Castillo's smart hold-up play allowed Battle to time her run… …and although Del Castillo's pass was just a touch off pace, Battle adjusted marvellously to whip her hips around the ball and pull back the cross. It's understandable the main concern there was Esther, which could be why Lucy Bronze appeared to have a lapse in concentration and leave space between herself and goalscorer Caldentey, who crashed her header home. Considering the year she's had — her first at Arsenal, where she was voted player of the season in the Women's Super League (WSL) and helped them beat her old club Barcelona in the Champions League final — this has been a relatively quiet Euros campaign for Caldentey. Before the final, she'd tallied two of Spain's 17 goals and contributed two assists, which made her third all the more momentous. The tide for attention on Spain is high thanks to Bonmati, Alexia Putellas, Esther and Claudiua Pina — but Caldentey's header was a two-pronged reminder of sorts: The first being that she is closer to those players than she tends to receive credit for; the second that England could be punished for not recognizing just how many players they must pay attention to. England's response was equally emphatic, and came from two players who, similarly in their own ways, had things to prove. Chloe Kelly was subbed on during the first half for the first time in this tournament to replace an injured Lauren James. There had always been a question of how much of an impact she could make with more minutes, and in the second half she provided an answer, whipping in an inward-swinging cross to cap off a well-worked spell of possession for England. On the receiving end was Russo, who, in ironically similar fashion as her Arsenal club colleague Caldentey, has had a lukewarm Euros with two goals and two assists leading up to the final. But where Caldentey's header scorched the net, Russo's was lofted and arced, placed well out of reach from Spanish goalkeeper Coll. Tamerra Griffin I know that game is not over and maybe we go to extra time but, just in case: The only change to Montse Tome's starting line-up was the removal of Pina and the inclusion of Athenea del Castillo. Perhaps this was because the Spanish coach remembered that Pina had been the perfect substitute two months earlier against England in the Nations League match played in Barcelona, where a brace from Pina completed Spain's comeback 2-1 victory against England. Advertisement When, in the 71st minute, Pina waited on the sideline to come on with the score tied, everyone thought the substitution would be for Del Castillo. However, Alexia Putellas was the one who came off. Tome's decision was brave, but it was the right one. Why did she decide to take off a team icon like Spain's No 11 to keep the forward line intact? Here are the reasons: While Putellas started and was the best player on the team in the group stage, she did not shine in the final phase. Especially in the final. However, Del Castillo played games that deserved more minutes. Her inclusion was decisive in several matches and putting her in the starting line-up proved to be a wise decision, even if it may have been an unpopular one. She was intense in pressing, offering help in defence at various points in the game. She linked up well with Batlle and Bonmati when the ball came in deep. She may not be the most technical player or the one who best fits Spain's style of play, but she came into the final stages of the competition with a lot of confidence and spark. Laia Cervello Herrero
New York Times
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- New York Times
Tour de France stage 21: Pogacar seals overall victory for fourth time, Van Aert masters Montmartre, why was race neutralized?
Wout van Aert soloed to victory in stage 21 of the 2025 Tour de France on Sunday — dropping Tadej Pogacar on the final ascent of the newly-added Montmartre climb. The Belgian star proved the strongest as torrential rain swept through Paris and turned the final day into a dramatic battle of attrition. Advertisement The irrepressible Pogacar — who sparked much of the drama in the stage — crossed the line in fourth place to seal his fourth overall Tour de France title, at the age of 26. There were the usual final-day pleasantries in the first half of the stage: group photos, friendly chats and a pace that any amateur could happily match. While that was going on news emerged that, due to the wet weather expected in the French capital, general classification times would be taken on the fourth crossing of the finish line. In other words, before the three ascents and descents of the atmospheric but perilously-cobbled Côte de la Butte Montmartre. The first crossing of the finish line saw the UAE-Emirates team of Tadej Pogacar cross the line together in front of the peloton. Then the race began in earnest. An early break of Quinn Simmons in the US national champions jersey and white jersey winner Florian Lipowitz was caught before the first ascent of Montmartre, a moment that saw Pogacar follow Julian Alaphilippe. By the time they had descended down the other side the race was split in two — 27 one-day classics specialists (which includes Pogacar, of course) at the front; the tired and the nervous in the second group. The forecast rain then arrived, and made the second visit to the climb even more treacherous. Another Pogacar acceleration reduced the front group to six riders — the yellow jersey, Matteo Jorgenson, Wout van Aert, Matej Mohoric, Matteo Trentin and Davide Ballerini. The third and final ascent began as expected, with the yellow jersey stringing out the group on the early slopes, but as they reached the steep section near the top, Van Aert did what his team leader Jonas Vingegaard could not do all race; he dropped Pogacar. 🔥🔥🔥 @WoutvanAert DROPS @TamauPogi in the last climb up Montmartre ! 🔥🔥🔥 🔥🔥🔥 WOUT VAN AERT DISTANCE POGACAR 🔥🔥🔥#TDF2025 — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 27, 2025 Van Aert's biggest challenge in the final run-in was staying upright on the drenched Parisian streets. He did so adroitly, taking a popular and iconic win alone, the 10th stage win of his Tour de France career but the first since 2022. Pogacar, who took on the challenge of this stage in a manner that surely no yellow jersey since Bernard Hinault would have done, deserves huge praise too for his contribution to what was a sensational finale to this year's race. Jacob Whitehead and Duncan Alexander break down the key moments from an epic stage. Find all of The Athletic's Tour de France coverage here. Or follow Global Sports on The Athletic app via the Discover tab. Wout van Aert has won on the Champs-Élysées before, but that has about the relevance of saying he once won a two-wheeled race. Sunday's finish was a totally different proposition — but if anything more suited to his rare skillset. In riding away from Pogacar on Montmartre, the Belgian underscored why he is still one of the best racers in the world. This has not been a vintage Tour for Van Aert. Visma Lease-a-Bike were roundly beaten in the GC battle, while his best result was second in a sprint finish. For some time, it didn't seem as if he would ever be back here. 2023 and 2024 were nightmare years with injuries. His right knee is cross-stitched with scars that tell the story of suffering, for one thing, but also the hard work needed to come back. His win in Siena at the Giro showed his enduring class, but another Tour appeared to be slipping by. In the end, he surged away, outpowering Pogacar at the top of Montmartre before using his time trialling power to stay clear. Advertisement 'It was a special day out,' Van Aert said after the stage. 'Really special to win here on the Champs-Élysées once again, and on the first occasion where we also climbed Montmartre. The rain made it quite sketchy but I managed to stay upright and had the full support of my teammates, I really have to thank them for still believing in me as I tried over and over again. Without them I couldn't control this race, go to the last climb and leave it all out there. That was our plan and it worked.' Standing on his pedals in the Paris rain, Van Aert smiled the smile of a man who had taken none of this for granted, but banged his handlebars with the conviction of a man who always believed that, one day, he would be back. 🔥 Take a bow 🔥 🔥 MONSIEUR @WoutvanAert 🔥#TDF2025 | @Continental_fr — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 27, 2025 Jacob Whitehead There was palpable excitement as the peloton approached the Côte de la Butte Montmartre for the first time, and not just among the huge crowds that had gathered, ten-deep, on the banks of the hill. In one of the cleverest Tour de France routes for several years, here was stage 21 offering something different and very thrilling. The locals roared as Julian Alaphilippe attacked the first ascent like a man who knows how to work a (sizeable) crowd. And who was that easing his way effortlessly behind him? It was Tadej Pogacar, of course, clad all in yellow and enthused by the chance to race properly on the final day. By the time the race reached Montmartre for a second time the heavens had opened but Pogacar's approach remained the same: full effort, major carnage. Only Jorgenson, van Aert, Trentin and Ballerini could keep up; only a rider as skilled as Mohoric could descend at speed on soaking wet cobbles to bridge the gap and make it a front six. Advertisement And if the first two ascents had not convinced everyone, then the sight of Wout van Aert rolling back the years and pulling clear of the valiant Pogacar on the third ascent surely sealed the deal. The crowd — most of whom had been locked into their positions for hours — howled even louder. This was cycling drama at its purest, and dampest. There will be understandable calls from fans for this new route to become the standard template for the Tour's final stage. It will be highly tempting for the organizers too, once they sit down and review the drama that unfolded today. The sprinters, though, are getting fewer and fewer crumbs to fight over at the Tour, and permanently removing their opportunity race for victory on the Champs-Élysées would be a shame. Perhaps the answer is to opt for the Montmartre route every two or three years. Rare enough to keep it special, but regular enough to enjoy scenes like today's. Duncan Alexander There was light drizzle in Paris, and with that, one of the Tour's great debates was ended. After the success of the Paris Olympics last summer, race organisers were intrigued by the notion of featuring Montmartre as part of the final stage — announcing plans to loop the 1.1km climb (5.9 per cent) three times, before ending with the traditional sprint on the Champs-Élysées. 'In our dreams, or in the dreams of our president, Mr Prudhomme, there was a desire to change the last stage a little bit,' route designer Thierry Gouvenou told The Athletic earlier this month.. 'It is true that we were in a bit of a comfort zone, especially in the city of Paris, where we used to do the Champs-Élysées circuit. 'But then came the Olympics. That stage at Montmartre struck us all, that was the turning point. We knew it could not be done in the same conditions. On the way, the road is narrow and it's on cobbles, but we do that in Flanders — it's not an issue. But it was necessary to find descents that were much safer than the Olympics. That was the challenge.' It was because of this safety issue that several teams and riders were frustrated. Typically, the 21st stage is processional, where teams soft-pedal before the sprint favourites come to the fore in the final 20km. There is no risk for the GC favourites. Here, with slopes suddenly on the agenda — cobbled slopes no less — it suddenly appeared as there may be efforts to create time gaps on GC. For many, it was one change too many. Advertisement 'I think the GC guys' worst fear is losing their place because of that final,' Remco Evenepoel said at the Tour's outset. 'Imagine you're in the yellow jersey or second place with a small margin, you just want to keep your place. That's something that nobody really likes for the last 20km of a Grand Tour. We'll probably have to race it and see how it goes.' However, come Sunday, there were no small time gaps in the top five. It meant any serious time gaps were unlikely — and rather than bringing excitement, Montmartre only offered the opportunity of a fall on the greasy cobbles. The decision was made to neutralise the stage before the first ascent of Montmartre. It meant Tadej Pogacar, in a sense, won the Tour de France with 50km remaining — though he still needed to complete the stage. Jacob Whitehead The Tour de France promises nothing to anybody. Perhaps it made sense that it ended in pouring rain, with slick cobbles and tight bends. This has been a Tour which has at times been light on drama, but which may be remembered as the cornerstone of Pogacar's legacy. This was the month he went toe-to-toe with his greatest rival, both in perfect condition — and was a resounding champion. We've had cattle herds and crosswinds, the Mur and Mont Ventoux, and been witness to stage wins and crushing disappointment. The Tour is a cross-section of this sport's rich tapestry. Thanks so much for your support and comments as we covered the race as The Athletic for the first time. There will be few more post-race articles to come over the next couple of days, so look out for those. We'll also have further coverage of the Femmes over the next week from my colleague Jess Hopkins — we hope you stick with us. Jacob Whitehead 💪 The #TDF2025 Super combative : 🇮🇪 Ben Healy 💪 Le Super combatif du #TDF2025 : 🇮🇪 Ben Healy 👋 @century21fr — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 27, 2025 For more cycling, follow Global Sports on The Athletic app via the Discover tab
New York Times
a minute ago
- New York Times
How Oscar Piastri's fearlessness won him the Belgian GP: ‘As brave as I dared'
SPA, Belgium — From second on the grid for the Belgian Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri knew he'd likely get one real shot at winning the race. A stunning lap for pole in sprint qualifying on Friday, arguably one of the best by anyone so far this season, had actually left Piastri exposed. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was able to use the long run exiting La Source, up Eau Rouge and Raidillon and along the Kemmel Straight to blast past Piastri, taking a lead he would never relinquish. Strangely, it had been better to start second than first. Advertisement Come Sunday's race, though, it was Piastri who had that 'advantage,' lining up behind teammate Lando Norris after losing out on Saturday afternoon. He'd get the same opportunity Verstappen did, albeit in damp conditions after a rain shower delayed the start by over an hour. That didn't deter Piastri from pulling off a brave, brilliant move to overtake Norris just as they left the crest of Raidillon, ducking out of his teammate's rooster tails and sweeping into the lead. Like Verstappen did one day earlier, Piastri didn't look back, going on to win the race. 'I knew it was going to be crucial,' Piastri said of the move in the post-race news conference. 'I had a good run out of Turn 1 and then tried to be as brave as I dared through Eau Rouge and was able to stay pretty close. 'After that, the slipstream did the rest for me. I knew that was going to be important to win the race today.' After back-to-back defeats to Norris at Spielberg and Silverstone, it was a big weekend for Piastri to break his title rival's momentum and stretch his points lead in the drivers' standings once again — it is now at 16 points. The move through Eau Rouge and Raidillon was a crucial showing that, for all the calm that he shows externally and is arguably his greatest strength, there is a killer instinct that lies beneath; an ability to seize such a moment when it really mattered. The suggestion from McLaren post-race was that Norris was compromised somewhat, admitting that he'd not had the cleanest exit out of Turn 1. Soon after being overtaken, Norris complained on the radio that he was struggling with his battery pack — an important boost with these hybrid power units — only to be informed that a lot of it had been used up on the restart. Andrea Stella, McLaren's team principal, told reporters after the race there was a 'slight anomaly' with the battery, but that it happened to both cars. 'Nothing that should have penalized Lando in particular compared to Oscar,' Stella said. 'We're still checking the data, but this is the initial feedback I received. Advertisement 'I think the overtake ultimately came because it's very difficult for the car that leads the pack to arrive first at corner five. It's not impossible, but it does require you to have a decent advantage as you cross the finish line, which was not the case for Lando at the restart.' Norris's case wasn't helped by a slightly scruffy exit from the Bus Stop chicane as the race returned to green after four laps behind the safety car, allowing Piastri to make a small gain. He then struggled with wheelspin exiting La Source — as the lead car, he was the first to encounter the damp conditions — while Piastri was able to firmly get on the throttle, setting up the chance to go for a move. Piastri knew he couldn't get too close to the rear of Norris's car as they went down the hill toward Eau Rouge and the start of the incline, necessitating a small lift on the throttle. But then it became about negotiating the left, uphill right and kink back left over the top of the hill without losing any of that momentum. A post shared by FORMULA 1® (@f1) 'The move through Eau Rouge, I knew it was going to be by far my best opportunity to try and win the race,' Piastri said, wryly smiling after The Athletic asked when he'd started plotting it. 'I'd been thinking about it for a while, put it that way. Obviously, in those conditions, it's a little bit more difficult than if it's dry. I knew that I had to try and do that.' The wet track meant any thought of taking Eau Rouge and Raidillon flat, as they would with ease in the dry, had to be put aside. It was a question of how little both drivers would be willing to lift, and what momentum they could carry. The data points to Norris actually backing off less than Piastri did through Eau Rouge, carrying a bit more speed and drifting more toward the left as a result. But as they crested Raidillon, Norris had to ease off the throttle slightly, dropping to 88 percent application; Piastri stayed flat out, helping him close up a little more. That gain, combined with the slipstream afforded to Piastri by sitting right behind his teammate's gearbox, was crucial to Piastri making the move and winning the race. As they emerged from Raidillon, Piastri was around 3-5 km/h faster than Norris, setting him up to easily sweep past. The majority of moves along the Kemmel Straight are carried out much closer to the braking zone at Les Combes. In this case, Piastri had to very quickly duck out from behind Norris to avoid touching him. He even had time to cover the inside, having been as much as 13 km/h faster on the straight. Advertisement An impressive move to the watch, and one that took real commitment in the cockpit. 'When I watched the onboard back, it didn't look quite as scary as it felt in the car,' Piastri said, having called the move 'lively' in the parc ferme interview carried out right after the checkered flag. 'I knew that I had to be very committed to pull that off.' Much as Piastri knew that would likely be his best chance to get Norris, Norris was well aware he'd be exposed leading the pack. 'Oscar came past me pretty easily,' he said. 'So even if I had a better Turn 1, his run and the slipstream probably still would have got me.' Even with 39 laps still to run, it was a move that decided the race. Piastri was able to pull out a small buffer to Norris as the track dried. By leading on the track, he had priority when it came to pitting for slick tires, coming in on Lap 12. McLaren did give Norris the option to pit on the same lap as Piastri, according to Stella, but Norris decided to stay out and avoid losing time behind his teammate in the pit lane. 'It was just more painful for me that Oscar got the good lap,' Norris said. 'I had to go one lap longer. That's life.' Norris was able to differentiate from Piastri on strategy by taking hard tires instead of mediums, which would degrade sooner and be trickier to manage until the end of the race. But the extra lap on slicks for Piastri meant his two-second buffer before pitting grew to nine by the time both McLarens had made the switch. Managing the mediums all the way to the end was still a huge ask for Piastri, who felt good 'for about five laps' on the tire before realizing he could be exposed. 'I was a bit nervous considering we had nearly 25 laps to go at that point. So, I had to be a bit careful, but it held on in the end much better than I feared.' By the end of the race, Norris was routinely gaining six-tenths of a second per lap on Piastri, all of which was coming through the tighter middle sector, but he couldn't get any closer than three seconds before the checkered flag. Advertisement This was a victory that summed up why Piastri is such a mighty contender going for his first F1 world title. He managed the race perfectly on the mediums, but to put himself in the lead in the first place, it required a big slice of bravery in a handful of decisive seconds. 'There is very, very little between our two drivers, and this is because the two drivers are racing at a very, very high level,' said Stella. 'We are lucky at McLaren to have two drivers that, deservedly, are fighting for the world championship. 'I think the difference will be made by the accuracy, the precision, the quality of the execution. We saw in Silverstone that an issue, a sporting issue for Oscar, during the safety car restart and the consequent penalty cost him the race. 'Here we saw that, related to the circuit characteristic, like we said before, it would have always been very difficult for Lando to keep the position, starting first at the safety car restart. 'At the same time, I think Lando didn't help himself by not having a great gap on the finish line. So I think the execution is what is going to make the main difference.' In a year where they are so evenly matched, these are the moments that will prove decisive. On Sunday, it was Piastri who made it really count. (Top photo of Oscar Piastri:)
