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Gabby Thomas, Sha’Carri Richardson, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Masai Russel are among US track stars who turned heads at the Paris Olympics but who are the men in their lives?
The Paris Olympics gave rise to new track and field stars from the US with some, who had gone under the radar, also getting a chance to spring to prominence.
Sha’Carri Richardson came to the Olympics as the undisputed queen but her crown as the face of US track and field seems to have now been taken by Gabby Thomas, following her three gold medals, while there have been some such as Masai Russel, McLaughlin-Levrone and Tara Davis-Woodhall, who also turned heads.
As the spotlight has turned on them, the men in their lives have also not gone under the radar as clips and photos of them supporting their partners have melted hearts.
Pulse Sports profiles the men in the lives of Team USA’s Olympics gold medalists.
Gabby Thomas
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Olympics 200m champion Gabby Thomas is currently dating Spencer McManes, who was a quarterback for Yale in his college years.
The pair first met in 2022 and McManes is not only Thomas’ boyfriend, but also a great support system for her, and he was in Paris to cheer his girlfriend as she battled for medals.
The 29-year-old has a degree in political science and briefly worked at a company named MyChrystal Group in Virginia. He is also an entrepreneur and owns a non-alcoholic kava seltzer brand called Kaviva.
He must have been proud to watch his girlfriend clinch gold in 200m, 4x100m as well as 4x400m relays.
Sha’Carri Richardson
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Perhaps the relationship that was already in the public domain even before the Olympics, American sprint queen Sha’Carri Richardson has been rumoured to be dating fellow sprinter Christian Coleman.
Though not made official, the pair started going out at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary and since then, have supported each other by flying to various events in America and beyond.
Coleman has previously spoken glowingly of Richardson and the two have been spotted ‘getting cozy’ on a number of occasions, the latest being a night out in Paris after the Olympics.
Richardson won silver in 100m before anchoring Team USA to 4x100m relay gold but Coleman had a poor Olympics, missing out on the 100m and 200m, while he fumbled the 4x100m relay where the US team was disqualified due to a breach of rules in the baton exchange between him and Kenny Bednarek.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone announced her presence at Olympics in a big way when she easily shrugged off world champion Femke Bol to win gold in the 400m hurdles before later ruffling feathers with her hardline stance on her faith.
McLaughlin-Levrone is married to Andre Levrone Jr who graduated from the University of Virginia in 2017 and played parts of three seasons as a wide receiver in the NFL before leaving the league.
Levrone and McLaughlin announced their engagement in August 2021 before getting married in May 2022.
A staunch Christian, McLaughlin-Levrone and her husband are part of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles, and Andre is enrolled at The Master's Seminary, which is affiliated with the church.
Andre must have been proud of his wife’s double gold in the 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay and the couple is currently in a holiday in Greece to continue their celebrations.
Tara Davis-Woodhall
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Olympics long jump champion Tara Davis-Woodhall did not just melt hearts for her victorious jumps in Paris but news that she is married to Paralympian and double amputee Hunter Woodhall further endeared her to fans.
Hunter and Tara’s love story began at a track meet in Idaho in 2017. Despite the challenges of a long-distance relationship—Woodhall competing at Arkansas and Davis-Woodhall at Georgia and Texas—their bond remained strong.
Both athletes competed in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, with Davis-Woodhall finishing sixth in the long jump and Woodhall securing a bronze medal in the 400m at the Paralympics.
The couple’s engagement in Cabo San Lucas in September 2021 and their subsequent marriage in McKinney, Texas, in October 2022 marked a new chapter in their shared journey.
Melissa Jefferson
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Olympics 100m bronze medalist, who also won gold in 4x100m relay, Melissa Jefferson got engaged to her college sweetheart, Rolan Wooden II, in October 2023.
Wooden, a former Coastal Carolina football player, proposed during a meticulously planned beach picnic, a moment Jefferson vividly shared with her followers on Instagram, expressing her joy and anticipation for their future together.
The couple met during their time at Coastal Carolina University and have been a support system for each other ever since.
Their relationship has flourished alongside Jefferson’s career, providing her with a stable personal life that complements her demanding professional schedule.
Masai Russel
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One of the breakout stars at the Olympics, Masai Russel won gold in the 100m hurdles and was left in tears after realizing the magnitude of what she had just achieved.
After her victory at the Olympics, more was known about her personal life when she wrote a sweet note to her boyfriend Robbie Springfield, thanking him for never giving up on her.
Robbie is a Kentucky graduate who works as an assistant at the Morehead State Cross Country. He specializes in sprints and jumps and could be one of those finetuning the 24-year-old Maryland native.
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