 Thomas being interviewed in London in 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | Iwan Gwyn Thomas (1974-01-05)5 January 1974 (age 52)[1] Farnborough, London, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Men'sathletics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | 400m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Newham and Essex Beagles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Iwan Gwyn ThomasMBE (born 5 January 1974) is a Welshsprinter who representedGreat Britain at theOlympic Games in the400 metres, and Wales at theCommonwealth Games. Thomas is a formerEuropean,Commonwealth Games and World4 × 400 metres relay champion.
Thomas is the former UK 400 m record holder, with his time of 44.36s set in Birmingham on 13 July 1997 standing untilMatthew Hudson-Smith broke the record in May 2022. He was also a member of the team which held the European 4 × 400 m relay record of 2:56.60, set in Atlanta, USA in the Olympic final on 3 August 1996 until it was broken at the2024 Summer Olympics.
Thomas's coach for much of his running career was Mike Smith, who was also formerly coach to British 400 m runnersRoger Black,Todd Bennett,Paul Harmsworth and 400 m hurdlerKriss Akabusi. Smith died in 2017. Thomas was made aMember of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1998.
His initial athletics breakthrough came at theWorld Junior Championships in 1992 as part of the British4 × 400 metres relay team that finished fifth. Thomas attendedStamford School andWest London Institute of Higher Education, where he studied Sports Science and Geography. While still at university, he took part in the1994 Commonwealth Games 400 m where he reached the semi-finals, representing Wales. From there, he was selected to represent Britain in the relay at the1995 European Cup and secured his first championship gold medal.
At the1996 Olympic Games inAtlanta, Thomas finished fifth in the final and took a silver medal in the 4 × 400 m event (in which the team broke the European record, which stood until 2024). He also represented Britain in the 2000 Olympics but was not selected for the individual event and despite running the fastest leg for the British team in the 4 × 400 m relay, did not secure a medal (the team took 5th place in the final).
Thomas was a member of the Great Britain 4 × 400 m team at the1997 World Championships in Athens. The team (Iwan Thomas,Roger Black,Jamie Baulch andMark Richardson) finished second by 0.18 seconds to the United States. However, in 2008, US team memberAntonio Pettigrew, who ran the second leg of the final, testified in the court case against trainerTrevor Graham that he had been aided by performance-enhancing substances between 1997 and 2001, including the 1997 World Championships. As the International Amateur Athletics Federation did not, as of 2008, change results retrospectively more than eight years after the event, initially the GB team was not awarded the gold medal retrospectively, although Pettigrew had returned his medals won in that period.[2][3]
Thomas' career was hampered by injury including a stress fracture to his ankle in 1999 that required telescopic surgery. He was again injured in 2003 with damage to his Achilles. Further injury in 2004 ruled him out of the2004 Olympic Games.Thomas was selected in 2006 for the Welsh team for the2006 Commonwealth Games inMelbourne,Australia, but was unable to compete due to an injury.
On 7 January 2010 it was announced that Great Britain's 1997 World Championship 4 × 400 m relay team were to be awarded the gold medal they were denied by the disqualified USA team.[4] New medals were minted for the ceremony, as not all of the American quartet returned the originals. Thomas received his gold medal in May 2010 in a presentation byAlun Ffred Jones atCardiff Bay.[5] The team eventually had a ceremony to celebrate winning gold in July 2025.
Iwan never officially retired from athletics but took the opportunity to do so when offered byAndy Goldstein on 3 July 2012 edition of the Andy Goldstein's Sports Bar onTalksport. He remained the UK record-holder in the 4 × 400 m relay until it was broken at the2024 Summer Olympics.
His father was born to Welsh-born parents inMiddlesex, whilst his mother'sWelsh language speaking family were centred around the village ofLlandderfel,Gwynedd. Iwan Thomas was born inFarnborough and now lives inSouthampton.
After winningDeadline, he bought himself aDucati 1098 motorcycle. Although a lifelong supporter ofTottenham Hotspur Football Club,[6] in 2010 he became an ambassador for The Saints Foundation, the charity ofSouthampton F.C.[7]
In 2008, Thomas guest presented two episodes ofBest of Friends, in the sports special withDarren Campbell and in the activities special withZoe Salmon.[citation needed]
Iwan took part in the celebrity games of the Million Pound Drop Live broadcast on Friday 10 August 2012.[8]
Thomas is co-presenter of MotoGP Tonight on BT Sport alongside Craig Doyle. He can also be seen presenting the Chequered Flag show immediately following MotoGP races.[9]
On 27 August 2015, Thomas was announced as a contestant in the 2015 series ofStrictly Come Dancing. On 5 September 2015 it was announced Thomas had been paired with professional dancerOla Jordan for the series.[10] He was the first contestant to be eliminated.[11]
In September 2016, Thomas was a presenter of the Paralympics Games in Rio for Channel 4 where he commentated on the athletics coverage presented from the Olympic Stadium.[12]
In February 2017, Thomas was a guest at "dictionary corner" onCountdown, on Channel 4.[citation needed]
In 2022, Thomas took part in CelebrityHunted for stand up to cancer. He was the only celebrity to win that series, with his teammateRichard Whitehead being caught earlier when a taunt against the Hunters backfired.
Thomas made a guest appearance as a cyclist at the final round of the 2008-09Revolution series atManchester Velodrome, competing in the 200 mtime trial.[13]
Thomas took part in the London Marathon 2015.[citation needed]
Thomas joined theEcover Sailing Team in 2009 as part of anExtreme 40 event. He was the fifth man on their boat on 31 July, racing catamarans around Egypt Point inCowes, for a practice day of the iShares cup.[14]
Thomas, a keen motorcyclist, became a co-host of a new motorbike podcast called Full Chat in April 2024. Teaming up with former professional footballerDavid Prutton, the pair discuss all things two wheels and welcome a host of celebrity guests on the show.[15]
[dead link]European Athletics Championships champions in men's400 metres | |
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Commonwealth Games champions in men's400 metres | |
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| 440 yards (1930–1966) | |
| 400 metres (1970–present) |
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