Ivan Thomas

Iwan Thomas (2011)

Iwan Thomas , also Iwan Gwyn Thomas , (born January 5, 1974 in Huntingdon ) is a former British sprinter , whose special route was the 400-meter distance . With his best time of 44.36 seconds from 1997, he is still the second fastest European behind Thomas Schönlebe to this day (as of April 2007) .

Career

Iwan Thomas started out as a BMX rider. He was one of the best in Europe, but switched to athletics in 1992.

At the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria (Canada) he was in a grand final for the first time and came with the Welsh relay to seventh place in the 4-by-400-meter relay . With the British team, he won bronze in the same discipline at the U23 European Championships in 1994.

In 1996 it ran under 45 seconds for the first time. At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta , he was fifth over 400 meters in 44.70 s. The British relay with Thomas, Jamie Baulch , Mark Richardson and Roger Black won silver behind the US quartet in 2: 56.60 minutes.

1997 Iwan Thomas ran 44.36 s in Birmingham, improving Roger Black's British record by a hundredth of a second. At the World Championships in Athens , Thomas finished sixth in 44.52 s. The British relay with Thomas, Black, Baulch and Richardson came in 2: 56.65 minutes in second place behind the team from the USA and ahead of the team from Jamaica. In 2008 the IAAF canceled all results of the American Antonio Pettigrew since January 1, 1997 because of his doping confessions , so that the British were subsequently declared world champions.

In Budapest at the European Championships in 1998 Thomas won two titles. He won over 400 meters in 44.52 s with half a second ahead of second-placed Robert Maćkowiak and Mark Richardson in third place. The British relay consisting of Mark Hylton , Baulch, Thomas and Richardson won in 2: 58.68 minutes ahead of the team from Poland. A month later at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 , Thomas won again in 44.52 s ahead of Richardson in 44.60 s. Jamaica won the season finals ahead of England and Wales, with Paul Gray and Doug Turner running for Wales alongside Baulch and Thomas.

In 1999 Iwan Thomas did not take part due to an injury. A year later at the Olympic Games in Sydney , the British relay with Thomas was sixth. At the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton , Thomas was eliminated in the semi-finals over 400 meters and was sixth with the British relay. Thomas won his last medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester when he finished second in the Welsh relay.

Iwan Thomas is 1.88 m tall and weighed 80 kg when he was active. He started for the Newham & Essex Beagles. After his most successful season in 1998, he was awarded the title MBE .

Best times

• 200 m: 20.87 s, August 30, 1997, Bedford
• 400 m: 44.36 s, July 13, 1997, Birmingham (British record)
  • Hall: 46.55s, February 10, 1996, Birmingham

literature

• Peter Matthews (Ed.): Athletics 2002. The Association of Track & Field Statisticians Yearbook. SportsBooks, Surbiton 2002, ISBN 1-899807-13-6 .

Web links

• Iwan Thomas in the database of World Athletics (English)
• Athlete portrait on The Power of Ten

Footnotes

1. ^ IAAF: IAAF Council Meeting notes, Monaco - November 21 ( memento of January 8, 2009 in the Internet Archive ). November 21, 2008