Henry Thomas (athlete)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |
 American
|
| Born | July 10, 1967 |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Running |
| Event(s) | 100 m, 200 m, 400 m |
| College team | UCLA Bruins |
| Club | Santa Monica Track Club |
Henry Thomas (born July 10, 1967) is a former American sprinter known for running at the high school and collegiate levels. A versatile athlete, he was successful at 100 metres through 400 metres, holding the World Youth best for 100 metres (for over 10 years), set in a race 7 days after he set the world Youth best in the 400 metres. He is the only athlete to simultaneously appear in both the 100m and 400m top lists.
Thomas led the team at Hawthorne High School, in Hawthorne, California of the 1980s to win the CIF California State Meet in both 1983 and 1984. Individually, he won the 200 metres in both 1983 and 1984—setting the state record that lasted 14 years, the 100 metres in 1984 after finishing second as a sophomore the previous year—setting the state record that lasted 5 years, and anchored his team to 4 × 400 metres relay victories in both years. The 1983 relay was a "come from behind" race passing Danny Harris on the final straightaway. Harris won a silver medal at the Olympics the following year. The time of that 1984 victory is still ranked #3, and 1983 is ranked #4 on the all-time list. Hawthorne won that relay 6 years in a row. His 100 metres record was beaten by Hawthorne's Curtis Conway who played in the NFL, and the 200 metres record was beaten by Kareem Kelly who also played in the NFL. Early in the 1985 season, the Hawthorne team, anchored by Thomas' 44.5 split, won the Texas Relays in what is still the National High School record 3:07.40. Joining Thomas on that team, as the "slow" newcomer was future Olympic gold medalist Mike Marsh. Shortly after the record, Thomas suffered from appendicitis, requiring surgery. He was unable to compete in the championship meet his senior year, Marsh won the state meet 200 metres in his place.
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