Obadele Thompson

Obadele Thompson

Obadele Thompson, 1993
Personal information
Birth name	Obadele Olutoson Thompson
Nationality	Barbadian
Born	(1976-03-30) 30 March 1976 (age 40)
Sport
Sport	Sprint
Event(s)	100 metres, 200 metres
Medal record Men’s Athletics Representing  Barbados Olympic Games 2000 Sydney 100 m World Indoor Championships 1999 Maebashi 200 m Central American and Caribbean Games 1998 Maracaibo 100 m CAC Championships 1993 Cali 100 m 1995 Guatemala City 100 m 1995 Guatemala City 200 m 1999 Bridgetown 100 m 1999 Bridgetown 4×100 m relay 2001 Guatemala City 4×100 m relay 1995 Guatemala City 4×100 m relay Commonwealth Games 1998 Kuala Lumpur 100 m CAC Junior Championships (U20) 1994 Port of Spain 100 m 1994 Port of Spain 200 m CARIFTA Games Junior (U20) 1993 Fort-de-France 100m 1994 Bridgetown 100m 1994 Bridgetown 200m 1992 Nassau 4x100 m relay 1993 Fort-de-France 200m 1993 Fort-de-France 4x100m relay CARIFTA Games Youth (U17) 1991 Port of Spain 100m 1992 Nassau 100m 1992 Nassau 200m 1991 Port of Spain 200m

Obadele Thompson (born 30 March 1976) is a sprint athlete from Barbados. In 2000, he became the first (and to date, only) Olympic medalist from Barbados with a bronze medal in the 100m race.

Born in Saint Michael, Thompson attended Harrison College before earning a scholarship, and graduated with honours with a degree in marketing and economics from the University of Texas at El Paso, United States.

On 21 February 2007 Thompson announced his engagement to Marion Jones. The marriage took place in a private ceremony on 24 February 2007 in North Carolina with close friends and family in attendance. Their first child together, son Ahmir, was born in July 2007. A daughter, Eva-Marie, was born in June 2009.

Starting his career, he competed very successfully at the CARIFTA Games and the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships. In 1994, he was awarded the Austin Sealy Trophy for the most outstanding athlete of the 1994 CARIFTA Games.

A junior season's best performance holder in 1994, he came close to winning an Olympic medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, when he finished 4th in the 200 m final, which was won by Michael Johnson in a new World Record time.

Competing with the top sprinters in the late 1990s, Thompson came close to major wins at the 1999 World Championships. He finished fourth in both the 100 m and 200 m.