Curtis Thompson

Curtis Thompson (born 8 February 1996) is an American javelin thrower. He won the bronze medal at the 2025 World Championships, and gold medals at the 2023 Pan American Games and 2022 and 2025 NACAC Championships.

Biography Born in Trenton, New Jersey, and raised in Florence Township, New Jersey, Thompson is a 2014 graduate of Florence Township Memorial High School. Thompson won the NCAA title for Mississippi State University in 2016, and he also won the 2018 USATF Championship.

At the 2020 United States Olympic Trials (track and field) held in Eugene, Oregon, on June 21, 2021, Thompson captured the javelin title with a top throw of 82.78 meters to beat runner-up Michael Shuey, whose top throw was 79.24. Riley Dolezal finished third with a throw of 77.07. Thompson individually recorded the four best throws of the competition. Representing his country at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Thompson qualified for the final. He won the gold medal at the 2022 NACAC Championships in Freeport, The Bahamas. He won gold at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile in November 2023.

In August 2024, Thompson threw a 76.79 at the 2024 Summer Olympics qualifications, placing him at 13th place and failing to qualify for the finals.

He started his 2025 season with a personal best of 87.76m at the Texas Relays. He threw 83.89 metres to win the javelin throw at the 2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon to retain the American national title. He won the gold medal at the 2025 NACAC Championships, breaking his own championship record set in 2022, with a throw of 87.27 metres.

In September 2025, he threw 86.67 metres to win the bronze medal at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

On 28 March 2026, he placed second behind Marc Anthony Minichello in the javelin throw at the USATF Winter Long Throws National Championship in Arizona with a throw of 74.78 metres.

His second meet for the 2026 season was the Drake Relays where he threw 84.65m for the win and facility Record. On 4 June, he finished third at the 2026 Golden Gala in Rome, part of the 2026 Diamond League, with a throw of 83.89 metres. On 6 June, he won with a throw of 84.88 metres at the USATF Lone Star Grand Prix in College Station, Texas. On 19 June, he threw 85.99 metres to place third at the 2026 Doha Diamond League. On 25 July, he won the javelin throw at the 2026 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in New York, throwing 87.59 metres in the last round to beat Jordan Davis and claim his fourth consecutive national title.

Author Curtis Thompson and his father, Scott Thompson, wrote a book in 2023 about the behind the scenes moments of raising a champion.

Personal life His parents are Scott and Karen Thompson. He has one brother, Christopher, who was a collegiate basketball player. Thompson's athletic genes carry through the family as he has several aunts, uncles, and cousins who played badminton for the Jamaican national team. He formerly coached for the Spain Park High School team, before later moving to Huntsville.