Curtis Thompson etched his name among the greatest javelin throwers in U.S. hsitory Thursday morning in Tokyo when he became just the 3rd American ever to medal in the javelin at the World Championships.
Thompson threw 284-4 on his 1st attempt and that held up for third place behind an Olympic gold medalist and a two-time Worlds gold medalist.
Thompson, a 2014 Florence graduate, equalled the 2nd-highest podium finish ever by an American. In 1983, Tom Petranoff placed 2nd in Helsinki with a 280-11 throw. And in 2007, Breaux Greer placed 3rdin Osaka with a 284-8. The only other American ever to place in the javelin in an international championship meet was 1952 Olympic gold medalist Cy Young Jr.
It was the 4th-best throw of his life and his best throw ever in a championship meet.
Thompson, a five-time U.S. champion, clinched a podium finish when Julius Yego of Kenya, the final thrower outside the top three, fouled on his 6th attempt.
Thompson’s 284-5 is the 2nd-best throw ever by an American at Worlds. In 2001, Greer threw 285-5 when he placed 4th in Edmonton, Alberta.
Thompson added a 279-10 on his 3rd throw after hitting 277-11 Wednesday in qualifying. So this trip to Tokyo produced three of the seven-best throws of his life. They’re his three-best throws ever in an international championship event. Thompson fouled on his 4th and 5th attempts.
Thompson is a five-time U.S. champion and is 3rd in U.S. history with his PR 287-11. Seven of his eight-farthest lifetime throws have come since March.
With that 277-11 on Wednesday, Thompson became one of 12 finalists who advanced to Thursday. It was his 1st international final after falling short at the 2021 Olympics – also at Japan National Stadium in Tokyo – 2023 Worlds in Budapest and the Paris Olympics last summer.
He was the first American to reach the finals at Worlds since 2009, when Sean Furey placed 12th
Olympic gold medalist Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago won the competition with a 288-1 on his 2nd throw. Anderson Peters of Grenada, Thompson’s teammate at Mississippi State, placed 2nd with a 286-8 on his 2nd throw.
Thompson’s 284-4 is his best throw ever on his 1st attempt of any competition. His previous best 1stthrow was a 274-11 at Athletissima at La Pontaise in Lausanne, Switzerland, in August 2022.
He hit 266-11 on his 2nd attempt before throwing 279-10 on his 3rd. That’s his 6th-best throw ever. He fouled on his last three attempts.
Curtis Thompson all-time 270-foot throws
287-11 … Texas Relays, Austin, Texas, March 28, 2025 [2nd throw]
287-9 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022 [2nd throw]
286-2 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Freeport, Bahamas, Aug. 17, 2025 [2nd throw]
284-4 … World Championships, Tokyo, Sept. 18, 2025 [1st throw]
282-8 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2025 [3rd throw]
279-10 … World Championships, Tokyo, Sept. 18, 2025 [3rd throw]
277-11 … World Championships qualifying, Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 17, 2025 [2nd throw]
276-11 … Texas Relays, Austin, Texas, March 28, 2025 [3rd throw]
276-4 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022 [3rd throw]
275-2 … USATC Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 31, 2025 [4th 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]
272-5 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 23, 2024 [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]
271-9 … Texas Relays, Austin, Texas, March 28, 2025 [4th throw]
271-7 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021 [6th throw]
271-0 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 13, 2024 [1st throw]
270-6 … USATF Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 31, 2025 [6th throw]
270-3 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022 [2nd throw]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 