For an athlete like Gabby Thomas, who has built her reputation on precision and poise, third place at the U.S. Track & Field Championships was not the outcome she intended. With a finishing time of 22.20 seconds in the women’s 200-meter final in Eugene, she trailed behind Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Anavia Battle, both of whom edged her out with sharper form and execution.

Now, even though her performance was strong enough to secure a spot at the World Championships in Tokyo this September, the Olympic gold medalist and proven competitor had arrived expecting more. Her path to redemption, however, has taken an unusual turn.

As she resets her training and recalibrates her race calendar, Thomas is now entangled in a public scheduling misstep that she did not authorize. The organizers of t

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