In his first meet in nearly two years, Florence’s Curtis Thompson threw 252-8 to win the javelin Saturday at the Falcon Classic in Montevallo, Ala.
It was the 25-year-old Thompson’s first meet since the Bulldog Relays in Starkville, Miss., on March 23, 2019.
Thompson, a four-time All-America at Mississippi State, the 2016 NCAA champ and 2018 U.S. national champ, has a PR of 271-11 from the 2016 Olympic Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. That’s No. 16 in U.S. history.
Thompson’s mark is No. 22 in the world so far early in the 2021 outdoor season and the No. 1 throw among Americans. He bumped Donovan Banks as the top U.S. thrower early in the outdoor season. Banks threw 246-2 last week at a meet in Mobile, Ala.
Thompson opened with a 244-7 and then the 252-8 followed by a 240-5, 240-10 and a foul and a 236-1.