Kristian Thomas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kristian Thomas

Thomas at the 2015 European Championships
Personal information
Full name	Kristian James Thomas
Born	(1989-02-14) 14 February 1989 (age 36) Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
Height	180 cm
Sport
Country	Great Britain  England
Club	Earls Gymnastics Club
Retired	19 October 2017
Medal record Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games Bronze 2012 London Team World Championships Silver 2015 Glasgow Team Bronze 2013 Antwerp Vault European Championships Gold 2012 Montpellier Team Gold 2015 Montpellier Floor exercise Silver 2010 Birmingham Team Silver 2014 Sofia Team Silver 2016 Bern Team Silver 2016 Bern Horizontal bar Bronze 2014 Sofia Horizontal bar Representing  England Commonwealth Games Gold 2014 Glasgow Team Silver 2014 Glasgow Vault Silver 2014 Glasgow Horizontal bar Bronze 2006 Melbourne Team

Kristian James Thomas (born 14 February 1989) is a British former gymnast. He was a key member of the England and Great Britain gymnastics teams for many years.

Kristian was part of the British team that won a gold medal at the 2012 European Championships. He also helped his team win a historic bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

In 2013, Kristian won his first individual medal at a major world event. He earned a bronze medal in the vault at the 2013 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. This was also the first time a British male gymnast had won a world medal in the vault event. In 2015, he won his first big international title, a gold medal in the floor exercise at the 2015 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

Kristian was coached by Michelle Bradley and Alexei Popov. He was a member of the Earls gymnastics club. He was born in Wolverhampton. Kristian announced his retirement from gymnastics on 19 October 2017.

Early Career and Rise

Junior Success

In 2006, Kristian Thomas competed at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. He finished 12th in the individual competition. He also helped the English gymnastics team win a bronze medal.

Becoming a Senior Gymnast

Kristian became a well-known gymnast in Britain. In 2008, he won the British all-around title. The floor exercise was one of his best events. He won several silver medals on the floor in international competitions.

At the 2009 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in London, he placed 6th in the All-Around competition. He was also part of the British men's team at the 2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam. He also competed at the 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Tokyo.

The men's team first struggled to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics. However, Kristian performed very well at a special Olympic test event in London. The team qualified easily, scoring more than 7 points ahead of France. Kristian finished 2nd in the All-Around at this event. He also reached several finals. In those finals, he won a bronze on Floor, a bronze on Vault, and a gold on High Bar.

Olympic Glory

London 2012 Olympics

At the London Olympics in 2012, Kristian was part of the Great Britain men's team. This team won a bronze medal. He competed on 30 July 2012 at the North Greenwich Arena. In the team final, he performed a fantastic vault. He scored a very high 16.550 points.

In October 2013, Kristian competed at the 2013 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium. In the vault final, he won the bronze medal. His score was 15.233. He finished behind Yang Hak-Seon and Steven Legendre.

European and Commonwealth Success

2014 European Championships

From May 19 to 25, 2014, Kristian competed at the 2014 European Championships in Sofia. Kristian and his teammates (Daniel Keatings, Daniel Purvis, Max Whitlock, Sam Oldham) won a silver medal for Great Britain. They finished behind Russia. Their total score was 262.087 points. In the individual event finals, Kristian won a bronze medal on the high bar. His score was 14.808. He finished behind his teammate Sam Oldham.

2014 Commonwealth Games

In July and August 2014, Kristian competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He scored 58.599 points for the England team. This helped the team win a gold medal. He also qualified for the vault final with a score of 15.100. He finished 8th in the Floor final. With a score of 15.033, he also qualified for the Horizontal bar final.

In the vault final, he won a silver medal with a score of 14.499. He finished behind Canadian gymnast Scott Morgan. Kristian scored 14.966 on the Horizontal Bar. This was the same score as his teammate Nile Wilson. However, Kristian won silver because of a slightly lower execution score.

Life After Gymnastics

After retiring from gymnastics, Kristian Thomas started a new career. In January 2022, he became the Player Care & Engagement Manager at the Premier League. This role involves looking after the well-being and involvement of players.

See also

In Spanish: Kristian Thomas para niños