Gabby Thomas Celebrates Olympic Gold with Boyfriend Spencer McManes

Olympian Gabby Thomas sprinted her way to the gold medal in the women’s 200-meter dash at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and she celebrated her victory with a special hug from her boyfriend, Spencer McManes. McManes was in the stands, cheering for Thomas as she finished with an impressive time of 21.83 seconds on August 6.

Known for her supportive inner circle, Thomas has previously shared how much of an impact having uplifting people around her has made on her journey to the Olympics. She mentioned, “For me, being surrounded by people that are uplifting and supportive and empowering really fuels me,” during an interview. It’s clear that McManes is a big part of that support.

The couple reportedly started dating in the fall of 2022 while both living in Austin. Thomas was busy completing her master’s degree in public health, and McManes was studying at Yale University, where he played football as a quarterback. He graduated with a degree in political science and government in 2017.

McManes was over the moon, cheering loudly for Thomas as she clinched the gold in Paris. After the race, the two shared a heartwarming moment in the bleachers, taking a quick selfie to capture their joy together.

The proud family of McManes traveled to Paris to support him and Thomas. His parents, Skip and Lori, along with his siblings, Carter and Mackie, made the trip. Although McManes’ Instagram is private, his mom has been sharing their family moments and her pride in Thomas on social media.

In addition to not being an Olympian, McManes is quite the athlete himself. After playing football for Yale, he’s also been involved in rugby with the Austin Huns Rugby Club. Both he and Thomas have roots in Georgia, with McManes hailing from Roswell and Thomas from Atlanta.

Today, McManes works as a senior customer success manager at DataGrail and even launched his own brand of non-alcoholic kava seltzer called Kaviva in 2023. He took this direction because he wanted to enjoy a social experience without the effects of alcohol.