A sports gambler who heckled Olympic champion sprinter Gabby Thomas during a Grand Slam Track event in Philadelphia over the weekend has been barred from using the US betting platform, FanDuel Sportsbook.
FanDuel released a statement to The Associated Press, expressing strong disapproval of any abusive conduct aimed at athletes. The company stated, “Threatening or harassing athletes is entirely unacceptable and has no room in the world of sports. This individual is no longer permitted to place bets with FanDuel.”
During the event, Thomas secured fourth place in a 100-metre race, which was claimed by Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. The bettor took to social media to boast, revealing, “I made Gabby lose by heckling her. And it made my parlay win.” He even shared a photo of his betting slip showing Jefferson-Wooden’s victory in the 100 metres.
Gabby Thomas interacts with fans post-race in the Women’s 100 Metre event. NurPhoto via Getty Images
Thomas, who clinched the 200-metre gold medal at the Paris Games last summer, elaborated on the heckling incident via X. She stated, “This grown man followed me around the track while I was taking photos and signing autographs for fans, mainly children, hurling personal insults — anyone who supports him online is disgusting.”
The Grand Slam Track league, founded by Hall of Fame sprinter Michael Johnson earlier this year, announced it is “conducting a comprehensive investigation into the appalling behaviour that was recorded on video.”
“We are working to identify the person involved and will take appropriate measures as needed. Additional safeguards will be put in place to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. Let us be clear, abhorrent behaviour like this will not be tolerated.”
ESPN initially broke the news regarding FanDuel’s decision to ban the bettor. The Grand Slam Track season will conclude with its fourth and final meet in Los Angeles on June 28-29.
Thomas claimed a gold medal in Paris. NurPhoto via Getty Images
This incident involving Thomas is just the latest in a disturbing trend of stalking and harassment faced by female athletes. Recently, Swedish cross-country skiing world champion Frida Karlsson publicly shared her experiences with stalking during a trial.
A man in his 60s received a suspended sentence and was ordered to pay damages after being convicted of stalking Karlsson for over a year, as reported by Swedish news agency TT.
The perpetrator, according to the indictment, made 207 phone calls to Karlsson, left voicemails and text messages, and approached her, including outside her residence.
In February, authorities in the United Arab Emirates apprehended a man whose behaviour caused distress to British tennis player Emma Raducanu at a tournament.
Raducanu encountered the man at the Dubai Championships, where he left her a note, took her photograph, and engaged in actions that caused her considerable distress, per the Dubai government’s media office.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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