Tom Pappas facts for kids
 Tom Pappas |
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing  United States |
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| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2003 Paris | Decathlon |
| World Indoor Championships | ||
| Gold | 2003 Birmingham | Heptathlon |
Tom Pappas (born September 6, 1976) is an American decathlete. A decathlete is an athlete who competes in ten different track and field events over two days.
Contents
About Tom Pappas's Early Life
Tom Pappas was born in Azalea, Oregon. He went to Glendale High School and finished in 1994. Later, he graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1999.
Tom Pappas's Athletics Career
Tom Pappas was a top athlete in the decathlon. He won the U.S. championship four times: in 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2006. In 1999, he also won the NCAA championship while he was at the University of Tennessee.
One of his biggest achievements was winning the gold medal at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics in Paris. That year, he was ranked the number one decathlete in the world by Track & Field News magazine. His best score in the decathlon was 8,784 points, which he achieved when he won the 2003 U.S. Championships.
In 2003, Tom Pappas received the Jesse Owens Award from USATF. This award is given to the best athlete of the year.
Tom Pappas competed in the 2000 Olympic Games and finished fifth in the decathlon. He also tried to compete in the Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. However, he had to stop because of a foot injury called plantar fasciitis.
After His Sports Career
After retiring from competitive sports, Tom Pappas became a co-owner of a fitness gym called Lane 5 Crossfit in Eugene, Oregon.
Tom Pappas's Main Achievements
Tom Pappas competed in many important events. Here are some of his top results:
- 1999 World Championships: He competed in Seville, Spain, but did not finish the decathlon.
- 2000 Olympic Games: He placed 5th in the decathlon in Sydney, Australia.
- 2001 Goodwill Games: He won a bronze medal (3rd place) in the decathlon in Brisbane, Australia.
- 2003 World Indoor Championships: He won a gold medal (1st place) in the heptathlon in Birmingham, England. A heptathlon is a competition with seven events.
- 2003 World Championships: He won a gold medal (1st place) in the decathlon in Paris, France.
- 2004 Hypo-Meeting: He won a silver medal (2nd place) in the decathlon in Götzis, Austria.
- 2004 Olympic Games: He competed in Athens, Greece, but did not finish the decathlon.
- 2008 Olympic Games: He competed in Beijing, China, but did not finish the decathlon.
Tom Pappas's Personal Best Scores
Tom Pappas achieved impressive scores in the individual events that make up the decathlon:
- Decathlon: 8,784 points (achieved on June 22, 2003, in Palo Alto)
- Long jump: 7.96 meters (achieved on June 21, 2003, in Palo Alto)
- Shot put: 17.26 meters (achieved on June 29, 2008, in Eugene)
- High jump: 2.21 meters (achieved on September 27, 2000, in Götzis)
- Pole vault: 5.20 meters (achieved on May 30, 2004, in Götzis)
- Discus throw: 52.18 meters (achieved on January 1, 2003, in El Paso)
- Javelin throw: 66.56 meters (achieved on June 9, 2000, in Sarasota)
