Two-time javelin Olympian Curtis Thompson closed out his 2023 season Saturday with a win in at the Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile.
Thompson threw 261-3 – matching his 2nd-best throw this year – to win the competition at Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos, the largest stadium in Chile.
Thompson, a Florence native, won by about four feet over Pedro Henrique Rodrigues of Brazil, who placed 2nd with a best throw of 257-4. Series information is not listed in the results.
He’s the first U.S. thrower to win the Pan Am Games javelin in 36 years, since Duncan Atwood won the 1987 event with a throw of 258-5 at the 1987 Pan Am Games in Indianapolis.
Other Pan Am Games winners from South Jersey are Browning Ross of Woodbury, who won the 1,500 in 4:00.4 at the 1951 meet in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Don Bragg of Penns Grove, who won the pole vault in 1959 in Chicago at 15-1 ¾; and Carl Lewis of Willingboro in the long jump at 28-8 ¼ in 1987 in Indianapoli – the 5th-best throw of his life (and also ran leadoff on the winning 400-meter relay team).
The Pan Am Games have been held every four years since 1951
This was Thompson’s first competition since mid-September and only his second since he competed at the World Championships in Budapest in August. In July, Thompson won his 3rd U.S. Championship with a season-best 265-5 on his final throw. He’s one of only three American men to win three national javelin titles in the last 50 years.
Thompson will finish the 2023 season ranked No. 1 among Americans.
Here’s a look at all of Thompson’s known 260-foot throws [79.248 meters]:
287-9 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022 [2nd throw]
276-4 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022 [3rd throw]
274-11 … Athletissima, La Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland, Aug. 26, 2022 [1st throw]
273-4 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022 [1st throw]
271-11… Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 4, 2016 [1st throw]
271-10 … Spitzen Leichtathletik, Luzern, Switzerland, Aug. 30, 2022 [3rd throw]
271-7 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021 [6th throw]
270-3 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022 [2nd throw]
269-7 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022 [3rd throw]
269-4 … Weltklasse, Letzigrund, Zürich, Switzerland, Sept. 8, 2022 [2nd throw]
268-1 … Oregon Relays, Hayward Field, Eugene, April 23, 2022 [1st throw]
268-1 … World Athletics Championships [qualifying], Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022 [1st throw]
267-4 … World Athletics Championships [qualifying], Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022 [2nd throw]
267-2 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 22, 2021 [2nd throw]
266-6 … USATF Throws Festival [2nd], Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022 [1st throw]
266-2 … Spitzen Leichtathletik, Luzern, Switzerland, Aug. 30, 2022 [4th throw]
265-10 … American JavFest [2nd], East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 17, 2021 [5th throw]
265-10 … Florida State Relays [1st], Mike Long Track, Tallahassee, Fla., March 25, 2016 [2nd attempt]
265-7 … Victoria Track Classic [1st], Centennial Stadium, Victoria, British Columbia, June 15, 2022 [unknown]
265-5 … U.S. Championships [1st], Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., July 8, 2023 [6th throw]
264-8 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022 [2nd throw]
264-1 … USATF Championships [2nd], Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 26, 2022 [5th throw]
264-0 … Athletissima, La Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland, Aug. 26, 2022 [5th throw]
263-11 … 94th annual Clyde Littlefield Relays, Mike A. Myers Stadium, Austin, Texas, March 25, 2022 [6th throw]
263-7 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021 [1st throw]
262-8 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021 [4th throw]
262-3 … Spitzen Leichtathletik, Luzern, Switzerland, Aug. 30, 2022 [1st throw]
261-6 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022 [3rd throw]
261-3 … Kuortane Games, Kuortaneen Keskusurheilukenttä, Kuortane, Finland, June 17, 2023 [4th throw]
261.3 … Pan American Games, Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos, Santiago, Chile, Nov., 4, 2023 [unknown throw]
260-11 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 30, 2016 [2nd throw]
260-11 … Kuortane Games, Kuortaneen Keskusurheilukenttä, Kuortane, Finland, June 17, 2023 [3rd throw]
260-10 … Mt. SAC Relays, Hilmer Lodge Stadium, Walnut, Calif., April 14, 2023 [4th throw]
260-4 … Kuortane Games, Kuortaneen Keskusurheilukenttä, Kuortane, Finland, June 17, 2023 [6th throw]
260-4 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021 [3rd throw]
260-3 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 20, 2023 [5th throw]
260-2 … Paavo Nurmi Games, Paavo Nurmi Stadium, Turku, Finland, June 13, 2023 [3rd throw]
260-1 … NACAC Under-23 [1st], San Salvador, Estadio Jorge “Mágico” González, June 17, 2016 [2nd throw]
260-1 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022 [2nd throw]
260-1 … 95th annual Clyde Littlefield Relays [3rd], Mike A. Myers Stadium, Austin Texas, April 1, 2023 [2nd throw]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 