Florence’s Curtis Thompson earned his 5th straight No. 1 U.S. ranking in the javelin and became the first American ranked in the top 10 in 19 years in Track and Field News’ 2025 U.S. and world ranking issue.

This is Thompson’s 10th consecutive year in the U.S. top 10. He’s the first U.S. thrower to make the world top-10 since Breaux Greer was No. 3 in 2007.

Thompson in 2025 became only the 3rd American to medal in the javelin at the World Championships when he placed 3rd in Tokyo with a throw of 284-4. That was the 2nd-best throw ever by an American at Worlds. In 2001, Greer threw 285-5 when he placed 4th in Edmonton, Alberta.

Thompson, a 2014 Florence High School graduate, this past year also won his 5th U.S. title and threw a lifetime-best 287-11 in Austin, 3rd-best in U.S. history.

Thompson, 29, turns 30 later this week.