John Thomas (athlete)
John Thomas with brother at the 1960 Olympics | |
Personal information | |
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Born | March 3, 1941 Boston, Massachusetts, US |
Died | January 15, 2013 (aged 71) Brockton, Massachusetts, US |
Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) |
Weight | 88 kg (194 lb) |
Sport | |
Sport | High jump |
Club | Boston Athletic Association |
John Curtis Thomas (March 3, 1941 – January 15, 2013)[1] was an American track and field athlete who set several world records in the high jump using the straddle technique. As a youth, he earned the Eagle Scout award. At the age of 17, while a freshman at Boston University, Thomas became the first man to clear 7 feet (2.13 m) indoors. He subsequently pushed the world indoor record to 7'1½" (2.17 m), and broke the world outdoor record three times, with a career best jump of 7'3¾" (2.22 m) in 1960, at the age of 19.
Thomas' meteoric career briefly captivated the track world, but he failed to win an Olympic gold medal, despite being favored to win in both the 1960 and 1964 Games.
In 1960, he settled for the bronze medal behind the USSR's Robert Shavlakadze (gold), and Valeriy Brumel (silver). Thomas's failure in 1960 on Thursday 1 September was accompanied by other failures that day by American favorites, and the day become known as 'Black Thursday'.[2]
In 1964 he was again beaten by Brumel, who cleared the same top height as Thomas, but was declared the winner based on fewer misses at lower heights. John Rambo won the bronze in 1964.
Thomas is an inductee of the USATF Hall of Fame.[3]
Jumping orientation
Thomas planted his left foot for take-off and high kicked with his right leg that would lead over the bar.
Biography
Thomas was born in Boston and grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His father Curtis was a bus driver and his mother Ida was a kitchen employee at Harvard University.[4]
He graduated from Boston University in 1963 with a bachelor's degree in physical and psychological rehabilitation.[4]
Thomas retired from competition at the age of 27 and became a businessman. He later served as an assistant coach at Boston University and athletic director at Roxbury Community College.[4]
Thomas died at age 71 while undergoing vascular surgery at a Brockton, Massachusetts hospital.[4]
References
- ^ "Millrose Legend John Thomas Passes". armorytrack. Archived from the original on 2013-01-20. Retrieved 2013-01-17.
- ^ John Thomas. sports-reference.com
- ^ John Thomas. USATF Hall of Fame
- ^ a b c d Trounson, Rebecca. (2013, January 24). John Thomas dies at 71' U.S. high jumper medaled in two Olympics. The Los Angeles Times.
Records | ||
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Preceded by Yuri Stepanov | Men's High Jump World Record Holder 1960-04-30 – 1961-06-18 | Succeeded by |
- v
- t
- e
- 1906: Ray Ewry
- 1907: Ray Ewry
- 1908: John Biller, Platt Adams
- 1909: Platt Adams
- 1910: Platt Adams
- 1913: Platt Adams
- 1915: William Taylor
- 1916: William Taylor
- 1917: William Taylor
- 1918: Leo Goehring
- 1919: William Taylor
- 1920: Ben Adams
- 1921: Ed Emes
- 1922: Edward Emes
- 1923: Thomas Hoskins
- 1924: Harry Sweitzer
- 1925: Harold Osborn
- 1926: Hans Hedberg
- 1927: Hans Hedberg
- 1928: Harold Osborn
- 1929: Harold Osborn
- 1930: Harold Osborn
- 1931: Harold Osborn
- 1906: Herbert Gidney
- 1907: Harry Porter
- 1908: Harry Porter
- 1909: Harry Porter
- 1910: Harry Grumpelt
- 1911: Samuel Lawrence
- 1913: John Johnstone
- 1914: Eugene Jennings
- 1915: Wesley Oler
- 1916: Jo Loomis
- 1917: Jo Loomis
- 1918: Egon Erickson
- 1919: Walter Whalen
- 1920: Walter Whalen
- 1921: Richmond Landon
- 1922: Leroy Brown
- 1923: Harold Osborn
- 1924: Harold Osborn
- 1925: Harold Osborn
- 1926: Harold Osborn
- 1927: Charles W. Major
- 1928: Anton Burg
- 1929: Charles W. Major
- 1930: Anton Burg
- 1931: Anton Burg
- 1932: George Spitz
- 1933: George Spitz
- 1934: Walter Marty, George Spitz
- 1935: Cornelius Johnson
- 1936: Ed Burke
- 1937: Ed Burke
- 1938: Lloyd Thompson
- 1939: Mel Walker
- 1940: Arthur Byrnes
- 1941: Mel Walker
- 1942: Adam Berry, Josh Williamson
- 1943: Bill Vessie, Josh Williamson
- 1944: Dave Albritton, Bill Vessie
- 1945: Ken Wiesner, Josh Williamson
- 1946: John Vislocky
- 1947: John Vislocky
- 1948: John Vislocky
- 1949: Dick Phillips
- 1950: John Vislocky
- 1951: John Heintzmann, Jack Razetto, Josh Williamson
- 1952: Lewis Hall
- 1953: Lewis Hall
- 1954: Herman Wyatt
- 1955: Lewis Hall, Ernie Shelton
- 1956: Ernie Shelton
- 1957: Phil Reavis
- 1958: Herman Wyatt
- 1959: John Thomas
- 1960: John Thomas
- 1961: Valeriy Brumel (URS), John Thomas (2nd)
- 1962: John Thomas
- 1963: Valeriy Brumel (URS), John Thomas (2nd)
- 1964: John Thomas
- 1965: Valeriy Brumel (URS), Gene Johnson (3rd)
- 1966: John Thomas
- 1967: John Rambo
- 1968: Valentin Gavrilov (URS), Steve Kelly (2nd)
- 1969: John Rambo
- 1970: Otis Burrell
- 1971: Reynaldo Brown
- 1972: Gene White
- 1973: Dwight Stones
- 1974: Tom Woods
- 1975: Dwight Stones
- 1976: Robert Forget (CAN), Bill Knoedel (2nd)
- 1977: Paul Underwood
- 1978: Dwight Stones
- 1979: Benn Fields
- 1980: Franklin Jacobs
- 1981: Jeff Woodard
- 1982: Dwight Stones
- 1983: Tyke Peacock
- 1984: Dennis Lewis
- 1985: Jim Howard
- 1986: Jim Howard
- 1987: Igor Paklin (URS), Jim Howard (2nd)
- 1988: Igor Paklin (URS), Jim Howard (2nd), Tom McCants (2nd)
- 1989: Troy Kemp (BAH), Tom McCants (2nd)
- 1990: Hollis Conway
- 1991: Javier Sotomayor (CUB), Hollis Conway (2nd)
- 1992: Hollis Conway
- 1993: Hollis Conway
- 1994: Hollis Conway
- 1995: Tony Barton
- 1996: Charles Austin
- 1997: Charles Austin
- 1998: Sam Hill
- 1999: Henry Patterson
- 2000: Matt Hemingway
- 2001: Nathan Leeper
- 2002: Nathan Leeper
- 2003: Charles Austin
- 2004: Jamie Nieto
- 2005: Tora Harris
- 2006: Adam Shunk
- 2007: Tora Harris
- 2008: Andra Manson
- 2009: Andra Manson
- 2010: Jesse Williams
- 2011: Jesse Williams
- 2012: Jesse Williams
- 2013: Dusty Jonas
- 2014: Erik Kynard
- 2015: Erik Kynard
- 2016: Erik Kynard
- 2017: Erik Kynard
- 2018: Erik Kynard
- 2019: Jeron Robinson
- 2020: Erik Kynard
- 2022: JuVaughn Harrison
- 2023: Shelby McEwen
- 2024: Shelby McEwen