From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Curtis Thompson placed 3^rd in the javelin Thursday at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea Diamond Disciplien at Stadio Olimpico in Rome with his 13^th lifetime throw of at least 275 feet.

Competing against a world-class field, the 2014 Florence graduate had three throws of at least 270 feet, giving him six this year and 27 in his phenomenal career.

Thompson opened with that 275-2, then threw 272-1 and 263-8 before a foul and then a 270-5 and another foul. His three-best throws this year have all come on his first throw of a competition.

Thompson, a five-time U.S. champion and two-time Olympian, goes for his sixth national title next month in New York.

Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage of Sri Lanka, a 2025 world championship finalist, won the competition with a national record and world No. 1 303-10, No. 8 all-time. Anderson Peters of Grenada, Thompson’s teammate at Mississippi State, was 2^ndwith a 275-3, finishing one inch ahead of Thompson.

Thompson ranks 3^rd in U.S. history with his PR 287-11 at last year’s Texas Relays in Austin. That’s the best throw by an American since Breaux Greer’s 299-6 in Indianapolis in 2007.

The USATF Championships are scheduled for July 23-26 at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island. Thompson is seeking his 4^th straight national title.

Curtis Thompson All-Time 270-Foot Throws
287-11 … Texas Relays, Austin, Texas, March 28, 2025 [2^nd throw]
287-9 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022 [2^ndthrow]
286-2 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Freeport, Bahamas, Aug. 17, 2025 [2^nd throw]
284-4 … World Championships, Tokyo, Sept. 18, 2025 [1^st throw]
282-8 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2025 [3^rd throw]
279-11 … Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational, Ramona, Okla., April 10, 2026 [1^stthrow]
279-10 … World Championships, Tokyo, Sept. 18, 2025 [3^rd throw]
277-11 … World Championships qualifying, Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 17, 2025 [2^nd throw]
277-8 … Drake Relays, Drake Stadium, Des Moines, Idaho, April 23, 2026 [5^th throw]
276-11 … Texas Relays, Austin, Texas, March 28, 2025 [3^rd throw]
276-4 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022 [3^rd throw]
275-2 … USATF Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 31, 2025 [4^th throw]
275-2 … Golden Gala Pietro Mennea Diamond Disciplien, Stadio Olimpico, Rome [1st throw]
274-11 … Athletissima, La Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland, Aug. 26, 2022 [1^st throw]
273-4 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022 [1^stthrow]
272-5 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 23, 2024 [1^st throw]
272-1 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 23, 2026 [1^st throw]
272-1 … Golden Gala Pietro Mennea Diamond Disciplien, Stadio Olimpico, Rome [2nd throw] 271-11… Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 4, 2016 [1^st throw]
271-10 … Spitzen Leichtathletik, Luzern, Switzerland, Aug. 30, 2022 [3^rd throw]
271-9 … Texas Relays, Austin, Texas, March 28, 2025 [4^th 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]
270-5 … Golden Gala Pietro Mennea Diamond Disciplien, Stadio Olimpico, Rome [5th throw] 270-3 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022 [2nd throw]