Obadele Thompson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Obadele Thompson
BSS

Personal information
Birth name	Obadele Olutoson Thompson
Nationality	Barbadian
Born	(1976-03-30) 30 March 1976 (age 49) Saint Michael, Barbados
Height	5 ft 9 in
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	100 metres, 200 metres
Medal record Men's Athletics Representing  Barbados Olympic Games Bronze 2000 Sydney 100 m Commonwealth Games Bronze 1998 Kuala Lumpur 100 m World Indoor Championships Silver 1999 Maebashi 200 m IAAF World Cup in Athletics Gold 1998 Johannesburg 100 m World University Games Silver 1995 Fukuoka 100 m Central American and Caribbean Games Gold 1998 Maracaibo 100 m CAC Championships Gold 1993 Cali 100 m Gold 1995 Guatemala City 100 m Gold 1995 Guatemala City 200 m Gold 1999 Bridgetown 100 m Gold 1999 Bridgetown 4×100 m relay Gold 2001 Guatemala City 4×100 m relay Silver 1995 Guatemala City 4×100 m relay

Obadele "Oba" Thompson (born March 30, 1976) is a former sprinter from Barbados. He is also a lawyer, author, and speaker. He made history by winning Barbados's first ever Olympic medal as an independent country. He earned a bronze medal in the 100 metres race at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Obadele competed in three Olympic Games: 1996, 2000, and 2004. He reached the finals in each of them. His fastest times are 9.87 seconds for the 100m and 19.97 seconds for the 200 metres. Both of these are Barbadian national records. He also holds a world record for the indoor 55 metres race, which he set in 1997 with a time of 5.99 seconds.

Obadele's success came after a great time at the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP). There, he won many awards for his studies, sports, and leadership. He won four individual NCAA sprint titles. These included the indoor 200m (1996 and 1997) and the outdoor 100m and 200m (1997). He also set two NCAA records.

He was named an NCAA All-American eleven times. He also won sixteen Western Athletic Conference (WAC) championships. Obadele won several "Athlete of the Year" awards. He was recognized as one of UTEP's top 10 male athletes of all time.

Obadele was also a top student. He was named an Academic All-American three times. In 1996, he joined the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society. This is a high award for business students. In 1997, he received a special award from the State of Texas for his achievements in both school and sports.

After his professional running career, Obadele wrote a book called Secrets of a Student-Athlete: A Reality Check. He also became a speaker at important events. He has spoken about sports management and anti-doping.

In 2007, Obadele was added to the UTEP Track and Field Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the UTEP Athletics and Drake Relays Halls of Fame in 2011. He studied economics and marketing in college. He later earned a law degree and now works as a lawyer.

Athletics Journey

Starting Young

Obadele started running when he was about six years old in Barbados. His talent really grew at his high school, Harrison College. His physical education teacher, Orlando Greene, helped him a lot. Other coaches, Frank Blackman and Anthony Lovell, also guided him.

Early Success (1990–1993)

Thompson training with longtime coach Frank Blackman

Obadele first ran for Barbados at age 14. He won the 100m and 200m races at the 1990 Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) Games. He also won the 100m at the 1991 CARIFTA Games. This is a big junior track and field event in the Caribbean. Famous sprinters like Usain Bolt have also competed there.

For the next three years, Obadele was the best junior 100m sprinter in the region. He won four CARIFTA Games 100m titles in a row. In 1993, he became the senior national 100m champion for Barbados. At just 17 years old, he won his first 100m title at the Senior Central American and Caribbean Championships (CAC) in Colombia.

Even though he was a top student and a great sprinter, universities didn't notice him at first. Barbados was known more for tourism and cricket, not sprinting. So, in 1993, Obadele reached out to Bob Kitchens, a famous track coach at UTEP.

In August 1993, Obadele moved to the U.S. on a sports scholarship. He joined UTEP, which has a history of amazing track athletes. These include Olympic champions like Bob Beamon.

Making an Impact (1994)

Obadele quickly made a name for himself in college. At 17, he reached the finals of the 55m and 200m at the 1994 NCAA Indoor Championships. He was the only male athlete to do so that year.

He also set his first world mark by tying the World Junior Record in the 100m (10.08 seconds). Sadly, he got a neck injury that year. Despite this, he helped UTEP finish second at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He also won junior championships in Jamaica and Trinidad.

Dominating as a Junior (1995)

In his last year as a junior athlete, Obadele was the fastest 100m runner in the world for his age group. He had 8 of the 11 fastest junior 100m times that year. One of his most memorable wins was at the Drake Relays. He beat his hero, Carl Lewis, who had won nine Olympic gold medals.

Internationally, he won the 100m and 200m titles at the Senior CAC Championships. He was also the youngest semifinalist in the 200m at the World (Senior) Championships. He won a silver medal in the 100m at the World University Games in Japan.

Senior Athletics Career

Breaking Records (1996)

Obadele started 1996 by winning his first NCAA Indoor Championship in the 200m. His time of 20.36 seconds broke the old record set by four-time Olympic Champion, Michael Johnson.

Thompson, UTEP Kidd Field (c. 1996)

For his 20th birthday, Obadele ran the 400m for the first time in years, finishing in 45.38 seconds. Two weeks later, he ran the 100m in 9.69 seconds. This was the fastest time ever recorded by a human at that point. However, it couldn't be an official world record because the wind was too strong. This record stood for 12 years.

He got injured during that race, which affected his training for the Olympics. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he reached the 100m semifinals. He then finished fourth in the 200m finals. This was a great achievement for him at only 20 years old.

More Wins (1997)

Obadele started his final college season by setting a new NCAA record and his second world record in the indoor 55m (5.99 seconds). He is the only man to run under 6 seconds in that event. He won his second straight 200m title at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

In May, he beat the 1996 Olympic 100m champion, Donovan Bailey. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, he won both the 100m and 200m races. He was only the sixth person since 1969 to win both events.

Professional Career (1997-2000)

After college, Obadele continued to compete professionally. In 1997, he finished sixth in the 200m at the World Championships. He was ranked #4 in the world for the 200m.

In 1998, he moved to Austin, Texas, to train with coach Dan Pfaff. He broke the Barbados national 100m record four times that summer. On September 11, he ran his personal best of 9.87 seconds in the 100m at the World Cup in Athletics in South Africa. This was the fourth-fastest legal 100m in history at that time. A few days later, he won a bronze medal in the 100m at the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia.

In 1999, Obadele won a silver medal in the 200m at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Japan. He also placed fourth in both the 100m and 200m at the World Championships.

Olympic Glory (2000)

Thompson (right) posing with the other 100 m Olympic medallists

The year 2000 was the peak of Obadele's career. He set a new personal best in the 200m (19.97 seconds) just before the Sydney Olympics. At the Games, he won the bronze medal in the 100m. This was Barbados's first and only Olympic medal as an independent country. He also finished fourth in the 200m.

By the end of 2000, Obadele was ranked among the top sprinters in the world.

Dealing with Injuries (2001-2009)

Injuries affected Obadele's career from 2001 onwards. He competed less often. Despite his injuries, he still managed to qualify for the 2003 World Championships. In 2004, even with various injuries, he reached the 100m finals at the Athens Olympics, finishing seventh.

In 2005, he competed in the 200m outdoors for the first time in five years. He placed fourth at the CAC Championships, behind a young Usain Bolt. In 2008, another injury stopped him from competing in the Beijing Olympics. In April 2009, he retired from athletics after winning his final race, a 200m event in Texas.

Personal Life

Obadele was born in St. Michael. His father, Alvin O. Thompson, is a history professor. His mother, Hilda Thompson, is a registered nurse. His father was also a talented sprinter in his youth.

In February 2007, Obadele married former American sprinter and basketball player, Marion Jones. They have three children together.

Recognition in Barbados

In 1995, a Barbadian band called Krosfyah released a popular song called Obadele to celebrate his achievements. When he returned to Barbados after winning his Olympic medal, thousands of people welcomed him. The Prime Minister of Barbados gave him the title of Ambassador and Special Envoy for Youth.

Obadele received the country's fourth highest award, the Barbados Service Star Award, for his contributions to sports. He was also named the Barbados National Sports Personality of the year three times.

Civic Involvement

Obadele has been involved in important causes. He filmed a TV commercial for UNICEF about children's rights. He has also had asthma since he was three years old. He participated in World Asthma Day in 2001 and filmed a commercial about his experiences with asthma.

Notable Public Features

Obadele was featured in his own NBC Olympic television commercial. This commercial was shown during the 1999 MLB World Series.

Personal Bests

NCAA Titles

Obadele won several major college championships:

• NCAA Indoor Championships
  • 200 m: 1996, 1997
• NCAA Outdoor Championships
  • 100 m: 1997
  • 200 m: 1997

Images for kids

• 

  Obadele Thompson at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

• 

  Thompson training with longtime coach Frank Blackman.

• 

  Thompson at UTEP Kidd Field (around 1996).

• 

  Obadele Thompson (right) with other 100m Olympic medalists at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

See also

In Spanish: Obadele Thompson para niños