From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Florence’s Curtis Thompson became the 8th American man to reach the javelin finals at the World Championships Thursday night in Eugene.

Thompson, competing against the best throwers in the world, threw 268-1 and recorded the 8th-best throw out of 28 competitors to take one of the 12 qualifying spots.

He’s the first U.S. thrower to reach the final in 13 years, since Sean Furey in 2009. The last American to place in the top 10 is Breaux Greer, who was 3rd in 2007.

The top 12 throwers – or all throwers over 273-11 [83.50 meters] – advanced to the final on Friday. Athletes get three throws in the qualifying round on Thursday, and those marks do not carry over to the finals. Only four hit the auto standard of 273-11. The cutoff for finals was 262-6.

The final is scheduled for 9:35 p.m. Saturday at Hayward Field in Eugene, where Thompson has recorded five of the top eight throws of his life.

Only two Americans have ever placed among the top-8 in a World Championships javelin competition: Greer was 4th in 2001 and 3rd in 2007, and Tom Petranoff was 2nd in 1983 and 4th in 1987.

Thompson opened with a 268-1 and followed that with a 267-4 and a foul on his final attempt. Those are the 6th- and 8th-best throws of his life.

He was sitting in the 5th spot after the Group A competition and then watched as only three throwers in Group B surpassed his mark.

Thompson has only had two meets in his life where he’s thrown at least 267 feet more than once – and they’re his last two meets. Five of his eight-best throws ever have been this month.

Thompson’s 268-1 makes him the No. 4 American ever at the World Championships behind Greer, the American record holder; New Jersey’s Bob Roggy – a graduate of Holmdel High School; and former old javelin world record holder Petranoff.

Here’s a look at the top marks ever by American throwers in World Championships history:
285-5 … Breaux Greer, 2001 [4th]
284-8 …… Greer, 2007 [q]
282-11 …… Greer, 2007 [3rd]
282-8 … Bob Roggy, 1983 [q]
284-1 …… Greer, 2001 [-]
281-1 … Tom Petranoff, 1983 [q]
280-10 …… Petranoff, 1983 [2nd]
279-10 …… Petranoff, 1983 [-]
276-7 …… Greer, 2007 [-]
274-3 …… Greer, 2001 [q]
273-3 …… Greer, 2007 [-]
268-1 … Curtis Thompson, 2022 [q]

Here’s a look at all the American javelin finalists in World Championships history:
285-5 … Breaux Greer, 2001 [4th]
282-11 … Breaux Greer, 2007 [3rd]
280-10 … Tom Petranoff, 1983 [2nd]
266-8 … Tom Petranoff, 1987 [4th]
261-7 … Bob Roggy, 1983 [9th]
255-7 … Tom Pukstys, 1993 [9th]
255-0 … Rod Ewaliko, 1983 [11th]
244-5 … Sean Furey, 2009 [12th]
238-0 … Duncan Atwood, 1987 [12th]

The two other Americans, Tim Glover and U.S. champion Ethan Dobbs, finished 24th and 27th.

Thompson, an Olympian in 2021, was competing for the first time since a remarkable breakthrough series at the American JavFest in East Stroudsburg earlier this month, where he threw 287-9, which is No. 7 in the world this year and made him the No. 3 thrower in U.S. history and the No. 1 thrower under 30 years old in U.S. history.

Here’s a look at the 12 qualifiers for Saturday’s final:
294-11… Anderson Peters [GRN] (Group B)
290- 0 … Neeraj Chopra [IND] (Group A)
286- 4 … Julian Weber [GER] (Group B)
279- 7 … Jakub Vadlejch [CZE] (Group A)
273- 7 … Ihab Abdelrahman [EGY] (Group A)
270- 4 … Oliver Helander [FIN] (Group B)
270- 1 … Roderick Genki Dean [JAP] (Group A)
268- 1 … Curtis Thompson [USA] (Group A)
268- 0 … Arshad Nadeem [PAK] (Group B)
265- 2 … Andrian Mardare [MDA] (Group B)
263-10 … Rohit Yadav [IND] (Group B)
262- 6 … Lassi Etelätalo [FIN] (Group A)

And here’s a look at all of Thompson’s 260-foot throws:
287- 9 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
273- 4 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
271-11… Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 4, 2016
271- 7 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021
269- 7 …American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
268- 1 … Oregon Relays, Hayward Field, Eugene, April 23, 2022
268- 1 … World Athletics Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022
267- 4 … World Athletics Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022
267- 2 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 22, 2021
266- 5 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022
265-10 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 17, 2021
265-10 … Florida State Relays, Mike Long Track, Tallahassee, Fla., March 25, 2016
265- 7 … Victoria Track Classic, Centennial Stadiumn, Victoria, British Columbia, June 15, 2022
264- 8 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022
264- 1 … USATF Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 26, 2022
263-10 … 94th annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, Mike A. Myers Stadium, Austin, Texas, March 25, 2022
260-11 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 30, 2016
260- 1 … NACAC Under-23, San Salvador, Estadio Jorge “Mágico” González, June 17, 2016