.jpg) Thomas in 1983 | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1965-05-12)12 May 1965 (age 60)[1][2] | ||||||||||||||
| Home town | Sefton Park,Toxteth,Liverpool, England | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft (183 cm)[4] | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Country |  Great Britain | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | Sport of athletics | ||||||||||||||
Event | 400 metres | ||||||||||||||
| College team | |||||||||||||||
| Club | Liverpool Harriers Birchfield Harriers (since 1988) | ||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Ben Laing[4] | ||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||
| National finals |
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| Personalbest |
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Medal record
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| Updated on November 2024 | |||||||||||||||
Mark Thomas (born 12 May 1965) is a British formersprinter specializing in the400 metres. He was the 1988AAA Indoor Championships winner in his event, and he won the silver medal representing the U.K. at the1987 World Athletics Championships by virtue of running in the heats and semi-finals.
At the 1983 Midland BankLancashire County Championships, Thomas won the U20 100 m and finished second in the 200 m and 400 m.[6] He was compared withPaul Dunn, silver medalist at the1981 UK Athletics Championships.[7] At the British U20 championships in August 1984, Thomas finished 2nd in the 400 m.[8] He debuted in the800 metres in September 1984, running 1:55.3.[9]
Thomas competed at and won several international meets, including qualifying for two meets in China in 1985.[1][10] Following a stint for theIowa State Cyclones track and field team in the U.S., Thomas returned to Liverpool in 1987.[11]
Thomas competed at his first continental championship in 1987, placing 4th in his heat at theEuropean Indoor Championships 400 m.[2] Later that year, Thomas was selected for the British team at the1987 World Championships in Athletics, set to compete inthe 4 × 400 m.[12][13] Thomas led off his team to a heat win and runner-up position in the semi-finals, but him andTodd Bennett were both substituted out byDerek Redmond andRoger Black in the finals. Nonetheless, the team won the silver medal, making Thomas the first Liverpool Harrier to medal at the World Athletics Championships or Olympics.[14] Thomas was disappointed at being replaced in the finals, and he was not immediately given his medal as only four were awarded at the championships.[15]
Now representing theBirchfield Harriers, Thomas won his only British senior title at theAAA Indoor Championships in the indoor 400 m.[5] He followed that up with another showing at the1988 European Indoor 400 m, where he again finished 4th in his heat and did not advance.[2][16]
Thomas qualified for the finals of the 1990European Champion Clubs Cup, but he did not compete due to work obligations at the Liverpool J.M. Centre.[17]
Thomas was born 12 May 1965 inBlackburn,Lancashire, England.[3] He grew up inSefton Park,Toxteth,Liverpool, England where he was a member of theLiverpool Harriers athletic club.[18][19][14] In July 1983, he was injured in a car accident causing him to miss competition.[20][21]
He did not return to full health from the accident until mid-1984. Thomas disliked travelling internationally for competitions due to the cold weather, and he spent most of his time in Liverpool.[4]
Thomas went to college in the United States, competing for theIowa State Cyclones track and field team.[22][18] After his return to Liverpool in 1987, Thomas was known for achieving success despite not having a coach, and was labeled a "Do It Yourself Champion".[23]
Thomas quit the Liverpool Harriers in September 1987, transferring to theBirchfield Harriers instead.[24][25]
| # | Mark | Pl. | Competition | Venue | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 47.9 |  | Crewe, England | 18 Jun 1983 | [26] | |
| 2 | 46.54 |  | Karlovac, Croatia | 15 Sep 1984 | [1] | |
| 3 | 46.05 | 17 May 1986 | [2] | |||
| 4 | 45.92 |  | Wigan, England | 26 Jun 1987 | [27] |
