View source for Obadele Thompson

{{short description|Barbados-born former sprinter, lawyer, and author}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{distinguish|Daley Thompson}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| headercolor = 
| name = Obadele Thompson
| honorific_suffix = [[Order of Barbados|BSS]]
| image = Obadele Thompson Sydney 2000.jpg
| imagesize = 200px
| caption = 
| birth_name = Obadele Olutoson Thompson
| nationality = {{flag|BAR|name=Barbadian}}
| residence = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1976|03|30}}
| birth_place = [[Saint Michael, Barbados]]
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| height = 5 ft 9 in
| weight = 
| website = 
| sport = [[Sport of athletics|Athletics]]
| event = [[100 metres]], [[200 metres]]
| collegeteam = 
| club = 
| team = 
| turnedpro = 
| coach = 
| retired = 
| pb = 
| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport | Men's [[Athletics (sport)|Athletics]]}}
{{Medal|Country|{{BAR}}}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze| [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney]] | [[Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics|100 m]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Commonwealth Games]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze| [[Athletics at the 1998 Commonwealth Games|1998 Kuala Lumpur]] |100 m}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics|World Indoor Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Silver | [[1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships|1999 Maebashi]] | 200 m}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[IAAF World Cup in Athletics]]}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1998 IAAF World Cup|1998 Johannesburg]] |100 m}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[World University Games]]}}
{{Medal|Silver| [[Athletics at the 1995 Summer Universiade|1995 Fukuoka]] |100 m}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Central American and Caribbean Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[Athletics at the 1998 Central American and Caribbean Games|1998 Maracaibo]] |100 m}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Central American and Caribbean Championships|CAC Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1993 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics|1993 Cali]] |100 m}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1995 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics|1995 Guatemala City]] |100 m}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1995 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics|1995 Guatemala City]] |200 m}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1999 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics|1999 Bridgetown]] |100 m}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1999 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics|1999 Bridgetown]] |4×100&nbsp;m relay}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[2001 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics|2001 Guatemala City]] |4×100&nbsp;m relay}}
{{Medal|Silver| [[1995 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics|1995 Guatemala City]] |4×100&nbsp;m relay}}
| show-medals = yes
}}
'''Obadele "Oba" Thompson''' [[Order of Barbados|BSS]] (born 30 March 1976) is a [[Barbados]]-born former sprinter, lawyer, author, and speaker. He won Barbados's first and only Olympic medal as an independent country by placing third in the [[100 metres]] at the [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney Olympics]]. He is a three-time Olympian ([[1996 Summer Olympics|1996]], 2000, and [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004]]), and a finalist at each Olympics. His personal best performances are 9.87 seconds for the 100 m, 19.97 seconds for the [[200 metres]] (both [[List of Barbadian records in athletics|Barbadian records]]), and 45.38 seconds for the [[400 metres]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/barbados/obadele-thompson-9873|title=Obadele THOMPSON|website=iaaf.org|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref> He has held the indoor [[55 metres]] [[List of world records in athletics|world record]] (5.99 sec.) since 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ustfccca.org/records-lists/ustfccca-collegiate-records|title=USTFCCCA Collegiate Track and Field Records ::: USTFCCCA|website=www.ustfccca.org|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-21|archive-date=17 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617165053/http://www.ustfccca.org/records-lists/ustfccca-collegiate-records|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Obadele's Olympic success followed a collegiate career at the [[University of Texas at El Paso|University of Texas-El Paso]] (UTEP) where he amassed several prestigious awards for his academics, athletics, and leadership. As a collegian, he won four individual NCAA sprint titles: indoor 200 m (1996 and 1997)<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://in.milesplit.com/meets/179504/results/312951/formatted#.Wo0JCOZzI2w|title=NCAA DI Indoor Championships – Results|work=MileSplit Indiana|access-date=2018-02-21|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://in.milesplit.com/meets/134096/results/312946/formatted#.Wo0JpuZzI2w|title=NCAA DI Indoor Championships – Mens Results|work=MileSplit Indiana|access-date=2018-02-21|language=en}}</ref> and the outdoor 100 and 200 metres (1997). He set two NCAA records: indoor 55 m (1997) and indoor 200 m (1996). He established two world records: 55 m (1997) and the World Junior 100 m (1994).<ref>{{cite news | last=Baksh | first=Vaneisa | title=Barbados' Obadele Thompson | date=July 1, 1996 | url=https://www.caribbean-beat.com/issue-32/barbados-obadele-thompson | work=caribbean-beat.com }}</ref> In 1996, he ran the then-fastest 100 m recorded under all conditions (9.69 sec.).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/tafn-lists?list_id=9&sex_id=M&yyear=2008|title=Track & Field News – Lists|website=trackandfieldnews.com|language=en-gb|access-date=2018-02-21|archive-date=23 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170723011809/https://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/tafn-lists?list_id=9&sex_id=M&yyear=2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

He was an eleven-time [[NCAA All-American]] and a sixteen-time [[Western Athletic Conference]] (WAC) Champion. Thompson won several Athlete of the Year awards, including the UTEP Athlete of the Year (1996 and 1997), [[U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association|US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association]] (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division I Male Indoor Athlete of the Year (1997), and the Stan Bates WAC Male Student-Athlete of the Year (1997).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wacsports.com/sports/2015/4/24/NEWS_0424153615.aspx?|title=Western Athletic Conference Official Site – WAC Awards|website=wacsports.com|language=en|access-date=2018-02-21|archive-date=21 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221161623/http://wacsports.com/sports/2015/4/24/NEWS_0424153615.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> He has also been listed as one of UTEP's all-time top 10 male athletes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theprospectordaily.com/2014/09/09/top-10-male-athletes-of-all-time-at-utep/|title=Top 10 male athletes of all time at UTEP – The Prospector|last=Cortez|first=Javier|website=www.theprospectordaily.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref>

Thompson was a three-time USTFCCCA Academic All-American (1995–1997). In 1996, he became a member of [[Beta Gamma Sigma]] (BGS) honor society, the highest recognition business students worldwide can receive from an [[Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business]] (AACSB) accredited business program. In 1997, he was named a [[College Sports Information Directors of America]] (CoSIDA) First-Team At-Large Academic All-American (formerly the GTE First-Team At-Large Academic All-American award)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.verizon.com/about/news/press-releases/ten-student-athletes-perfect-40-grade-point-averages-named-gte-academic-all|title=Ten Student-Athletes with Perfect 4.0 Grade-Point Averages Named to GTE Academic All-America Men's At-Large Teams|website=www.verizon.com|date=17 June 1997 |language=en|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref> and received the State of Texas Certificate of Merit for his exemplary achievement in academics and athletics. In 1998, he became a UTEP Alumni Association Top Ten Senior awardee,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://alumni.utep.edu/Top-10-Seniors-Past-Honorees|title=Top 10 Seniors Past Honorees – The University of Texas at El Paso|website=alumni.utep.edu|language=en-us|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref> and received the NCAA Today's Top VIII Award (now the NCAA [[Today's Top 10 Award|Today's Top 10]]) for outstanding leadership, athletics and academics, along with two-time [[Super Bowl|NFL Super Bowl]] Champion, [[Peyton Manning]], who attended the [[University of Tennessee]].

After retiring from a decade-long professional athletics career, Thompson published his first book, ''Secrets of a Student-Athlete: A Reality Check'',<ref>{{Cite book|title=Secrets of a Champion Student-Athlete: A Reality Check|last=Thompson|first=Obadele|date=2010-12-01|publisher=Brown Books Publishing Group|isbn=9781934812754|location=Dallas, TX|language=en}}</ref> which was endorsed by legendary [[Duke Blue Devils men's basketball|Duke basketball]] coach [[Mike Krzyzewski]]. Thompson was a keynote speaker at the official launch of the 2007 [[ICC Cricket World Cup 2007|ICC Cricket World Cup]] in Barbados and has participated in leadership development programs, including with the [[West Indies cricket team|West Indies Cricket Team]]. He has also served variously as a speaker and panellist on matters related to sports management, performance, and anti-doping.

Thompson was inducted into the UTEP Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2007,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://utepathletics.com/news/2007/4/12/Sergent_Thompson_To_Enter_UTEP_Track_Hall_Of_Fame.aspx?path=track|title=Sergent, Thompson To Enter UTEP Track Hall of Fame|website=University of Texas at El Paso|language=en|access-date=2018-02-21|archive-date=21 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221100521/http://utepathletics.com/news/2007/4/12/Sergent_Thompson_To_Enter_UTEP_Track_Hall_Of_Fame.aspx?path=track|url-status=dead}}</ref> and into the UTEP Athletics<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://utepathletics.com/sports/2017/6/7/hallfame-2011-inductees-html.aspx?id=154|title=2011 Inductees|language=en|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref> and [[Drake Relays]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.godrakebulldogs.com/news/2011/4/28/205144445.aspx|title=Class of 2011 Drake Relays Hall Of Famers Inducted Tonight In Sheslow Auditorium Ceremony|website=Drake University|date=28 April 2011 |language=en|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref> [[Halls of fame|Halls of Fame]] in 2011.

He graduated from UTEP [[summa cum laude]] in [[economics]] and [[marketing]] and received his [[Juris Doctor]] (J.D.) from the [[University of Texas School of Law]]. He practices [[international arbitration]] and [[Lawsuit|litigation]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kslaw.com/people/obadele-thompson|title=Obadele O. Thompson (Oba) – King & Spalding|website=www.kslaw.com|language=en|access-date=2018-02-21|archive-date=21 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221161517/https://www.kslaw.com/people/obadele-thompson|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Athletics career==

===Junior athletics===
Obadele began his athletic career at about six years old in Barbados at the Charles F. Broomes Primary School before transferring to Wesley Hall Junior School. However, his talents blossomed at his secondary school, [[Harrison College (Barbados)|Harrison College]], under the tutelage of his physical education teacher, [[Orlando Greene]] (Barbados [[800 metres|800 m]] national record holder). He was also coached by respected Barbadian coaches Frank "Blackie" Blackman and the late Anthony Lovell.

====1990–1993====
Thompson first represented Barbados at age 14, winning the 100 and 200 metres at the 1990 [[Caribbean Union of Teachers]] (CUT) Games in [[Georgetown, Guyana]]. He again showed promise by winning the 100 m in the under-17 age division at the 1991 [[CARIFTA Games]] in [[Port of Spain|Port of Spain, Trinidad]]. The CARIFTA Games is an annual Caribbean junior track and field championship that has produced notable Caribbean sprinters including [[Usain Bolt]], [[Merlene Ottey]] and [[Pauline Davis-Thompson]]. Over the next three years, Thompson dominated the 100 m at the regional junior level, winning four successive CARIFTA Games 100 m titles (twice in both the under-17 and under-20 divisions), and not losing to a Caribbean junior sprinter at this distance since he was 14 years old. In 1993, Thompson became the Barbados national senior 100 m champion, and placed third and second in the 100 and 200 metres, respectively, at the [[Pan American Junior Athletics Championships]] in [[Winnipeg]], Manitoba, Canada. A few weeks later, at only 17 years old, he won his first 100 m title at the 1993 Senior [[Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics|Central American and Caribbean Championships]] (CAC) in [[Cali|Cali, Colombia]], clocking a slightly wind-assisted 10.30 sec. (+2.1&nbsp;m/s wind).

Despite attending one of the top academic high schools in the Caribbean and being among the best sprinters in his age group in the world, he was initially not recruited by any universities because Barbados was then only known for being a top tourist destination and producing [[List of international cricketers from Barbados|outstanding cricketers]], not sprinters. He was also not invited to the top American junior track meets for similar reasons. Not deterred, in early 1993, Thompson contacted Hall of Fame former UTEP head track coach, Bob Kitchens,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ustfccca.org/2016/08/featured/ustfccca-coaches-hall-of-fame-class-of-2016-announced|title=USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame Class of 2016 Announced ::: USTFCCCA|website=www.ustfccca.org|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref> who had trained [[Nigerians|Nigerian]] sprinter, [[Olapade Adeniken]], to the 1992 NCAA Outdoor 100 and 200 metres titles.

In August 1993, Thompson left Barbados on an [[athletic scholarship]] to become part of UTEP's long legacy of outstanding track and field athletes, which includes: [[Bob Beamon]] ([[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Olympic]] [[long jump]] champion), [[Suleiman Nyambui]] ([[1980 Summer Olympics|1980 Olympic]] [[5000 metres|5000 m]] silver medalist), [[Bert Cameron]] ([[1983 World Championships in Athletics|1983 World Champion]] in the 400 m), [[Blessing Okagbare]] ([[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Olympic]] long jump silver medalist), and [[Churandy Martina]] ([[European Athletics Championships|European Champion]] in the 100 and 200 metres).

====1994====
Thompson made an immediate impact on the collegiate scene, while still only 17 years old, he reached the finals at the 1994 NCAA Indoor Championships in the 55 and 200 metres—the only male athlete to do so that year<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://in.milesplit.com/meets/179629/results/312954/formatted#.Wo0OZeZzI2w|title=NCAA DI Indoor Championships – Results|work=MileSplit Indiana|access-date=2018-02-21|language=en}}</ref>—while helping his team finish third overall. He opened his outdoor season before his home crowd at the CARTIFA Games in Barbados, defending his under-20 100 m title in a new meet record (10.33 sec.), and winning the 200 m for the first time (20.71 sec.).  His record-setting 100 m run earned him the Austin Sealy Award for Most Outstanding Performance of the championships. Two weeks later at the Sierra Medical Center/UTEP Invitational in El Paso, Texas, Thompson established his first global mark by equaling the World Junior Record of 10.08 sec. in the 100 m<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-07-21-sp-18381-story.html|title=No Record for 9.96 in 99.96 Meters|last=WHITE|first=MATT|date=1994-07-21|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2018-02-21|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}}</ref> (broken in 1998 by [[Dwain Chambers]]).

Unfortunately, shortly afterward he sustained his first major injury, a non-displaced fracture in his neck, which went improperly diagnosed for several months. Despite this season-altering injury, Thompson helped UTEP finish second overall at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, as part of the 4 × 100 m and 4 × 400 m relays.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/tfn_pdfs/ncaamenresultsbyyear/1994.pdf|title=1994 NCAA Outdoor Men's Results|website=www.trackandfieldnews.com}}{{Dead link|date=January 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He also won the Jamaica Junior National Championships in the 100 m (as a visiting athlete), the CAC Junior Championships in the 100 and 200 metres, placed fourth in the 100 m at the [[World Junior Championships in Athletics|World Junior Championships]] and was the youngest semifinalist in 100 m at the [[1994 Commonwealth Games|Commonwealth Games]] in [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], Canada.

====1995====

Obadele completed his final year in the junior (under-20) category by dominating the yearly global 100 m performance list. He twice recorded the fastest junior 100 m time (10.18 sec.) and ran 8 of the 11 fastest junior 100 m times that year. His most memorable victory came in the 100 m invitational race at the Drake Relays in [[Des Moines, Iowa]], where he defeated his idol [[Carl Lewis]] (nine-time Olympic gold medalist), [[Mark Witherspoon]] (member of the 1992 US Olympic 100 m team), and Sam Jefferson (1994 NCAA 100 m champion).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1995/05/08/8093937/carl-lewis|title=CARL LEWIS|last=NODEN|first=MERRELL|work=SI.com|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref>

Internationally, Thompson successfully defended his title in the 100 m at the Senior CAC Championships in [[Guatemala]], while adding the 200 m title in a new championship record of 20.49 sec., which was the third-fastest time by a junior athlete that season. He was the youngest semifinalist in the 200 m at the World (Senior) Championships in [[Gothenburg|Gothenburg, Sweden]], and won a silver medal in the 100 m at the [[World University Games]] in [[Fukuoka|Fukuoka, Japan]].

===Senior athletics===

====1996====
Obadele started the 1996 season on fire, winning his first NCAA Indoor Championship in an NCAA indoor 200 m record.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://in.milesplit.com/meets/179504/results/312951/formatted#.Wo0T5-ZzI2w|title=NCAA DI Indoor Championships – Results|work=MileSplit Indiana|access-date=2018-02-21|language=en}}</ref> His time of 20.36 sec. shattered the old mark of 20.59 sec. set seven years earlier by four-time Olympic Champion, Michael Johnson, and equaling the then third-fast time in that event.
To celebrate his 20th birthday, Thompson ran 45.38 sec. in his first competitive 400 m since he was 13 years old. Two weeks later, in his season-opening 100 m, he clocked the fastest time ever recorded by a human under any conditions—a wind-assisted time of 9.69 sec.—which could not be ratified as an official world record because the tailwind (+5&nbsp;m/s) far exceeded the +2.0&nbsp;m/s legal limit. This performance broke the mark set by Carl Lewis in 1988 (9.78 sec.) and stood for 12 years until [[Tyson Gay]] ran a wind-aided 9.68 sec. at the 2008 US Olympic Trials.

Thompson sustained a groin injury during that race, forcing him to miss practice for a week. Injuries struck again months later in the semifinals of the 100 and 200 metres ([[groin]] and [[hamstring]] [[Strain (injury)|strains]], respectively) at the 1996 NCAA Outdoor Championships in [[Eugene, Oregon]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/specials/olympics/cntdown/0602oly-run-ncaa-thompson.html|title=Thompson Takes a Risk and Comes Up Limping|website=archive.nytimes.com|access-date=2018-03-06}}</ref> He withdrew from the meet, extinguishing the anticipated showdown with [[Trinidadians|Trinidadian]] sprinter, [[Ato Boldon]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/Rankings/02-m200Rank.pdf|title=Track & Field News}}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> of [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]].

Sidelined by those injuries for three weeks, Thompson's once bright Olympic prospects darkened grimly as he returned to training with only one month to prepare for his first Olympic Games. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he reached the 100 m semifinals, but exceeded expectations by finishing fourth in the 200 m finals behind Michael Johnson, who set an amazing new world record of 19.32 sec., [[Frankie Fredericks]] of [[Namibia]] (19.68 sec.) and Boldon (19.80 sec.). Obadele's fourth-place run of 20.14 sec. established a new Barbados national record, and placed him ahead of [[Michael Marsh (sprinter)|Mike Marsh]] (the defending Olympic 200 m champion) and [[Jeff Williams (athlete)|Jeff Williams]] (1995 World Championship 200 m bronze medalist). At only 20 years old, ''[[Track & Field News]]'' magazine ranked Thompson #5 in the 200 m in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/Rankings/02-m200Rank.pdf|title=Track & Field News World Rankings – Men's 200|website=www.trackandfieldnews.com}}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

====1997====

Obadele started his senior collegiate season by winning the WAC indoor 55 m in 5.99 sec.—a new NCAA record and his second world record. He is the first and only man to go under the 6-second barrier in that event.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/tafn-lists?list_id=15&sex_id=M&yyear=2008|title=Track & Field News – Lists|website=trackandfieldnews.com|language=en-gb|access-date=2018-02-21|archive-date=21 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221161416/https://trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/tafn-lists?list_id=15&sex_id=M&yyear=2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> At the NCAA Indoor Championships, he became the third male athlete to win back-to-back 200 m titles. Unfortunately, he false started in the 55 m finals, despite being heavily favoured to win after running 6.08 sec. in the semifinals, which was 0.10 sec. faster than all competitors at the entire meet. In May, he defeated the 1996 Olympic 100 m champion and world record holder, [[Donovan Bailey]], in the 100 m in [[Tempe, Arizona]]. Thompson also co-captained his team to back-to-back WAC Outdoor titles. In rainy conditions at the NCCA Outdoor Championships in [[Bloomington, Indiana]], he won the NCAA 100 and 200 metres in 10.13 sec. and 20.03 sec., respectively, running the latter into a heavy headwind. He became only the sixth person since 1969 to win this double.

====Professional athletics career====

=====1997=====
After the collegiate season, Thompson placed sixth in the 200 m at the 1997 World Championships in [[Athens|Athens, Greece]]. He also finished second in the same event at the IAAF Grand Prix Finals in Fukuoka, Japan. He moved up the ''Track & Field News'' rankings to #4 in the 200 m in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/Rankings/02-m200Rank.pdf|title=Track & Field News World Rankings – Men's 200}}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

=====1998=====
In the summer of 1998, Thompson relocated to [[Austin, Texas]] to work with [[Dan Pfaff]], who had coached Bailey to the 1996 Olympic 100 m title. Pfaff helped Thompson shake off mid-season woes and finish the last two months of competition strongly. During that period, he broke the Barbados national 100 m record four times. On 5 September, he placed second in a photo finish to Fredericks in the 100 m Grand Prix Final in Moscow, Russia. A week later, on 11 September, he recorded his all-time personal best of 9.87 sec. en route to winning the 100 m at the [[World Cup in Athletics]] in [[Johannesburg|Johannesburg, South Africa]], erasing the championship record set by [[Ben Johnson (Canadian sprinter)|Ben Johnson]] in 1985. At the time, Thompson's performance was the fourth-fastest legal 100 m in history (only 0.03 sec. outside Bailey's world record Olympic victory of 9.84 sec.), and the second-fastest 100 m in 1998 (0.01 sec. behind Boldon's 9.86 sec.). Days later, on 17 September, he won the 100 m bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in [[Kuala Lumpur|Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia]], behind Boldon and Fredericks, after leaving the starting blocks last. ''Track & Field News'' ranked him #6 in the world in the 100 m.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/Rankings/01-m100Rank.pdf|title=Track & Field News World Rankings – Men's 100}}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

=====1999=====
In March, Thompson won the silver medal in the 200 m at the [[IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics|IAAF World Indoor Championships]] in [[Maebashi|Maebashi, Japan]]. His time of 20.26 sec. was the then third-fastest all-time performance. Later that season, Thompson placed fourth in the 100 and 200 metres at the World Championships in [[Seville|Seville, Spain]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/barbados/obadele-thompson-9873|title=IAAF: Obadele Thompson {{!}} Profile|website=iaaf.org|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref> and ''Track & Field News'' ranked him #5 and #6 in those events, respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/Rankings/01-m100Rank.pdf|title=Track & Field News World Rankings – Men's 100}}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/Rankings/02-m200Rank.pdf|title=Track & Field News World Rankings – Men's 200}}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

=====2000=====
[[File:Mens 100m medalists, Sydney2000.jpg|thumb|Thompson (right) posing with the other 100&nbsp;m Olympic medallists]]
Obadele reached the zenith of his athletic career in 2000. After rounding into form on European track circuit, he injured his big toe while placing second to [[Maurice Greene (athlete)|Maurice Greene]] in the 100 m at the Monaco Golden League meeting,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iaaf.org/results/iaaf-golden-league/2000/herculis-zepter-2348/men/100-metres/final/result#resultheader|title=IAAF: 100 Metres Result {{!}} Herculis Zepter {{!}} iaaf.org|website=iaaf.org|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref> forcing him to return to the US for treatment six weeks before the 2000 Sydney Games. He returned to competition ten days before the Games to set a 200 m personal best of 19.97 sec. in [[Yokohama|Yokohama, Japan]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iaaf.org/news/news/second-best-all-time-for-lebedeva-in-yokohama|title=IAAF: Second best all-time for Lebedeva in Yokohama{{!}} News {{!}} iaaf.org|website=iaaf.org|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref> At the Games, he won the bronze medal in the 100 m in 10.04 sec. behind Greene (9.87 sec.) and Boldon (9.99 sec.) and placed fourth in the 200 m, although he and Boldon both ran 20.20 sec.

His bronze medal was Barbados' first and only Olympic medal and only the second Olympic medal won by a Barbadian athlete (at the 1960 Rome Olympics, Barbadian [[Jim Wedderburn]] won bronze with three Jamaicans on the [[West Indies Federation]] 4 x 400 metres relay team).

By season end, ''Track & Field News'' ranked Thompson #3 in the world in the 100 and 200 metres,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/Rankings/01-m100Rank.pdf|title=Track & Field News World Rankings – Men's 100}}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/Rankings/02-m200Rank.pdf|title=Track & Field News World Rankings – Men's 200}}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> while the [[International Association of Athletics Federations|International Association of Athletic Federations]] (IAAF) ranked him #3 in the 100 m and #2 in the 200 m.

====Injury years====

=====2001=====

Injuries ravished Thompson's 2001 season, and he competed sparing. Ironically, although he never ran a 200 m that season, he reached a career-high IAAF #1 world ranking in that event for several weeks based on his accumulated IAAF points. Three weeks before the 2001 World Championships in [[Edmonton|Edmonton, Alberta]], Thompson sustained a [[Pectoralis major muscle|pectoral]] tear during training but rebounded and narrowly missed making the 100 m finals while heavily bandaged.

=====2002–2009=====

The years 2002–2009 were very lean ones for Obadele, characterised primarily by recurring and new injuries and scant appearances on the track. After not racing for almost one year, he qualified for 2003 World Championships in [[Paris|Paris, France]], but had the misfortune of encountering the eventual World Champion, [[Kim Collins]], as well as Greene and Chambers (1999 World Championship 100 m bronze medallist) in the quarterfinals. Thompson's 10.14 sec. fourth-place clocking became the then-fastest performance not to make a 100 m semifinal.

Thompson raced sparingly and unremarkably in 2004, and just weeks before the 2004 Athens Olympics his participation was doubtful due to various injuries. However, he once more defied the odds when he reached and placed seventh in the 100 m finals in 10.10 sec., despite his injuries and not competing for six weeks entering the Games.

In 2005, Thompson returned to competing in the 200 m outdoors for the first time since the 2000 Sydney Olympic finals five years earlier. He placed fourth at the CAC Championships in [[Nassau, Bahamas]] in a season-best 20.53 sec. behind the 19-year-old emerging sprint sensation, Usain Bolt, who won in 20.03 sec.

In 2008, Thompson sustained another hamstring injury during the Barbados Olympic trials that ended his hopes of participating in the 2008 [[Beijing Olympics 2008|Beijing Olympics]]. In April 2009, he retired from athletics by winning his final race, a 200 m at a college invitational race in Austin, Texas.

==Personal life==

Thompson was born in [[St. Michael, Barbados|St. Michael]] to Professor Alvin O. Thompson, a [[Guyanese people|Guyanese]] [[professor emeritus]] of [[Africa]]n and [[Caribbean]] [[history]] at the [[University of the West Indies]] (UWI) [[Cave Hill, Saint Michael, Barbados|Cave Hill]], Barbados,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/Prof-Emeritus-Alvin-Thompson-Historian-128609610542607/|title=Prof. Emeritus Alvin Thompson-Historian|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref> and Hilda Thompson, a [[registered nurse]] from [[Bermuda]]. Although Prof. Thompson never earned an athletic scholarship nor had formal coaching, he won the 100 m at the 1963 Jamaica National Championships,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.royalgazette.com/assets/pdf/RG36421239.pdf|title=Prof. Alvin O. Thompson – Curriculum Vitae|access-date=21 February 2018|archive-date=21 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221161811/http://www.royalgazette.com/assets/pdf/RG36421239.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> while studying at UWI in [[Mona, Jamaica]]. In 1966, as a [[Postgraduate education|postgraduate]] student at the [[University of London]], he won the 100 m at British Universities Championships,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/busa.htm|title=British Universities Championships|website=www.gbrathletics.com|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref> earned the Arthur Wint Award for the most significant performance at the London University's Athletic Championships, and was awarded the prestigious University of London's "Purple"<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.royalgazette.com/assets/pdf/RG36421239.pdf|title=Prof. Alvin O. Thompson – Curriculum Vitae|access-date=21 February 2018|archive-date=21 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221161811/http://www.royalgazette.com/assets/pdf/RG36421239.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> for his sporting excellence.

In February 2007, Thompson married former American sprinter and basketball player, [[Marion Jones]].  They have three children.

== Recognition in Barbados ==

In 1995, Barbadian [[Soca music|soca]] band, [[Krosfyah]], released the song ''Obadele''<ref>{{Citation|last=vjvj85|title=Krosfyah – Oba (Obadele Thompson)|date=2011-01-17|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMNk8ZbC6tQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/AMNk8ZbC6tQ| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|access-date=2018-02-21}}{{cbignore}}</ref>''praising ''Thompson's outstanding achievements. Lead singer, Edwin Yearwood, won the 1995 Pic-O-De-Crop Calypso Monarch singing this tune,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.justbajan.com/cropover/history/picodecrop/index.htm|title=Barbados Pic-O-De-Crop History|website=www.justbajan.com|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref> which became highly popular throughout in the [[Caribbean region]] and with the Caribbean [[diaspora]].

On his return to Barbados after his Olympic medal-winning performance, Thompson was greeted by thousands of well-wishers who lined the streets as his motorcade travelled from the airport to the Barbados Government headquarters,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iaaf.org/news/news/thousands-welcome-obadele-thompson-home|title=IAAF: Thousands welcome Obadele Thompson iaaf.org|website=iaaf.org|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref> where the former Prime Minister, [[Owen Arthur]], conferred on him the title of Ambassador and Special Envoy for Youth.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.totallybarbados.com/articles/about-barbados/people/meet-a-bajan/obadele-thompson/|title=Obadele Thompson – Totally Barbados|work=Totally Barbados|access-date=2018-02-21|language=en-US}}</ref> Thompson was awarded the country's fourth highest award, the [[Order of Barbados|Barbados Service Star Award]], for his outstanding contribution to sports (1997), the Barbados Minister's Award for Sports (2004), and was three times named the Barbados National Sports Personality of the year (1994, 1996, and 2000).

== Civic involvement ==
Thompson has been involved with the Barbados [[Special Olympics]] and featured in an advertising campaign against drug abuse for the [[United Nations Drug Control Programme]]. He also filmed a television commercial for [[UNICEF]]'s "The Rights of Children" to draw attention to the treatment and rights of children.  An [[asthma]]tic since three years old, Thompson participated in the 2001 [[World Asthma Day]] and filmed a television commercial based on his experience as a lifelong asthmatic.

== Notable public features ==
Thompson was featured in his own [[NBC]] Olympic television commercial shown during the 1999 [[Major League Baseball|MLB]] [[World Series]].

==Personal bests==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Event
!Time
!Date
!Venue
|-
|55 m
|5.99
|22 February 1997
| [[United States Air Force Academy|U.S. Air Force Academy]], [[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]]
|-
|60 m
|6.56
|19 February 1999
| [[Fairfax, Virginia]]
|-
|100 m
|9.87
|11 September 1998
|[[Johannesburg]], [[South Africa]]
|-
|200 m
|19.97
|9 September 2000
|[[Yokohama]], [[Japan]]
|-
|400 m
|45.38
|30 March 1996
|[[El Paso, Texas]]
|}

==Performances at international competitions==
{| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes|class=wikitable style="text-align:center; font-size: 90%;}}
|-
!colspan="6"|Representing {{BAR}}
|-
|rowspan = "2"|1991
|rowspan = "2"|[[1991 CARIFTA Games#Boys under 17 .28Youth.29|CARIFTA Games (U-17)]]
|rowspan = "2"|[[Port of Spain]], [[Trinidad and Tobago]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|100 m
|10.5 &nbsp;&nbsp;(2.6&nbsp;m/s) '''w'''
|-
|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd
|200 m
|22.26
|-
|rowspan = "3"|1992
|rowspan = "2"|[[1992 CARIFTA Games#Boys under 17 .28Youth.29|CARIFTA Games (U-17)]]
|rowspan = "3"|[[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]], [[Bahamas]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|100 m
|10.59 '''w'''
|-
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|200 m
|21.61
|-
|[[1992 CARIFTA Games#Boys under 20 .28Junior.29|CARIFTA Games (U-20)]]
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|4 × 100 m relay
|41.84
|-
|rowspan = "6"|1993
|rowspan = "3"|[[1993 CARIFTA Games#Boys under 20 .28Junior.29|CARIFTA Games (U-20)]]
|rowspan = "3"|[[Fort-de-France]], [[Martinique]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|100 m
|10.71 &nbsp;&nbsp;(−0.9&nbsp;m/s)
|-
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|200 m
|21.42 &nbsp;&nbsp;(−0.3&nbsp;m/s)
|-
|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd
|4 × 100 m relay
|42.47
|-
|[[1993 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics|Central American and Caribbean Championships]]
|[[Cali]], [[Colombia]]
|bgcolor="gold"| 1st
|100 m
|10.30 '''w'''
|-
|rowspan = "2"|[[1993 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships|Pan American Junior Championships]]
|rowspan = "2"|[[Winnipeg]], Canada
|bgcolor="cc9966"|3rd
|100m
|10.76
|-
|bgcolor="silver"|2nd
|200m
|21.18 '''w'''
|-
|rowspan = "6"|1994
|rowspan = "2"|[[1994 CARIFTA Games#Boys under 20 .28Junior.29|CARIFTA Games (U-20)]]
|rowspan = "2"|[[Bridgetown]], [[Barbados]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|100 m
|10.33
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|200 m
|20.71
|-
|rowspan = "2"|[[1994 Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships in Athletics#Male Junior A .28under 20.29|Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships]]
|rowspan = "2"|[[Port of Spain]], [[Trinidad]]
|bgcolor="gold"| 1st
|100m
|10.0 &nbsp;&nbsp;(−0.3&nbsp;m/s)
|-
|bgcolor="gold"| 1st
|200m
|21.1 &nbsp;&nbsp;(−0.2&nbsp;m/s)
|-
|rowspan = "2"|[[1994 World Junior Championships in Athletics|World Junior Championships]]
|rowspan = "2"|[[Lisbon]], [[Portugal]]
||4th
|100m
|[[1994 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres|10.29]] <small>(wind: +1.2&nbsp;m/s)</small>
|-
|5th (sf)
|200 m
|[[1994 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 200 metres|21.28]] <small>(wind: +1.9&nbsp;m/s)</small>
|-
|rowspan = "5"|1995
|rowspan = "2"|[[1995 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics|Central American and Caribbean Championships]] 
|rowspan = "2"|[[Guatemala City]], [[Guatemala]]
|bgcolor="gold"| 1st
|100 m
|10.18 {{AthAbbr|A}}
|-
|bgcolor="gold"| 1st
|200 m
|20.49 {{AthAbbr|A}} {{AthAbbr|CR}}
|-
|[[Athletics at the 1995 Summer Universiade|Universiade]]
|[[Fukuoka]], [[Japan]]
|bgcolor="silver"|2nd
|100 m
|10.34 &nbsp;&nbsp;(1.3&nbsp;m/s)
|-
|rowspan = "2"|[[1995 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|rowspan = "2"|[[Gothenburg]], [[Sweden]]
|5th (qf)
|100 m
|[[1995 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres|10.30]] &nbsp;&nbsp;(−0.5&nbsp;m/s)
|-
|7th (sf)
|200 m
|[[1995 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 200 metres|20.66]] &nbsp;&nbsp;(−0.9&nbsp;m/s)
|-
|rowspan = "2"|1996
|rowspan = "2"|[[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|rowspan = "2"|[[Atlanta]], [[United States]]
|6th (sf)
|100m
|[[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|10.16]] &nbsp;&nbsp;(−0.5&nbsp;m/s)
|-
||4th
|200m
|[[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres|20.14]] &nbsp;&nbsp;(0.4&nbsp;m/s)
|-
|rowspan = "3"|1997
|rowspan = "2"|[[1997 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|rowspan = "2"|[[Athens]], [[Greece]]
|6th (sf)
|100 m
|[[1997 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres|10.30]] &nbsp;&nbsp;(−0.8&nbsp;m/s)
|-
||6th
|200m
|[[1997 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 200 metres|20.37]] &nbsp;&nbsp;(2.3&nbsp;m/s) '''w'''
|-
|[[1997 IAAF Grand Prix Final|IAAF Grand Prix Final]]
|[[Fukuoka]], [[Japan]]
|bgcolor="silver"|2nd
|200 m
|20.19 &nbsp;&nbsp;(0.3&nbsp;m/s)
|-
|rowspan = "4"|1998
|[[1998 Commonwealth Games|Commonwealth Games]]
|[[Kuala Lumpur]], [[Malaysia]]
|bgcolor="cc9966"|3rd
|100m
|10.00
|-
|[[1998 IAAF World Cup|IAAF World Cup]]
|[[Johannesburg]], [[South Africa]]
|bgcolor="gold"|1st
|100 m
|9.87 &nbsp;&nbsp;(−0.2&nbsp;m/s) '''NR'''
|-
|[[1998 IAAF Grand Prix Final|IAAF Grand Prix Final]]
|[[Moscow]], [[Russia]]
|bgcolor="silver"|2nd
|100 m
|10.11 &nbsp;&nbsp;(0.1&nbsp;m/s)
|-
|[[1998 Central American and Caribbean Games|Central American and Caribbean Games]]
|[[Maracaibo]], [[Venezuela]]
|bgcolor="gold"| 1st
|100 m
|10.20
|-
|rowspan = "5"|1999
|[[1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships|IAAF World Indoor Championships]]
|[[Maebashi]], [[Japan]]
|bgcolor="silver"|2nd
|200 m
|20.26
|-
|[[1999 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics|Central American and Caribbean Championships]] 
|[[Bridgetown, Barbados]]
|bgcolor="gold"| 1st
|100 m
|10.23
|-
|rowspan = "2"|[[1999 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|rowspan = "2"|[[Seville]], [[Spain]]
||4th
|100 m
|[[1999 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres|10.00]] &nbsp;&nbsp;(0.2&nbsp;m/s)
|-
||4th
|200 m
|[[1999 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 200 metres|20.23]] &nbsp;&nbsp;(1.2&nbsp;m/s)
|-
|[[1999 IAAF Grand Prix Final|IAAF Grand Prix Final]]
|[[Munich]], [[Germany]]
||4th
|200 m
|20.21 &nbsp;&nbsp;(−0.8&nbsp;m/s)
|-
|rowspan = "2"|2000
|rowspan = "2"|[[2000 Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics]]
|rowspan = "2"|[[Sydney]], [[Australia]]
|bgcolor="cc9966"|3rd
|100 m
|[[Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|10.04]] &nbsp;&nbsp;(−0.3&nbsp;m/s)
|-
||4th
|200 m
|[[Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres|20.20]] &nbsp;&nbsp;(−0.6&nbsp;m/s)
|-
|2001
|[[2001 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[Edmonton]], Canada
|5th (sf)
|100 m
|[[2001 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres|10.31]] &nbsp;&nbsp;(−1.7&nbsp;m/s)
|-
|2002
|[[Athletics at the 2002 Commonwealth Games|Commonwealth Games]]
|[[Manchester]], [[England]]
| —
|100 m
|[[Athletics at the 2002 Commonwealth Games – Men's 100 metres|DNS]] (qf)
|-
|2003
|[[2003 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[Paris]], [[France]]
|4th (qf)
|100 m
|[[2003 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres|10.14]] &nbsp;&nbsp;(0.6&nbsp;m/s)
|-
|2004
|[[2004 Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics]]
|[[Athens]], [[Greece]]
||7th
|100 m
|[[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|10.10]] &nbsp;&nbsp;(0.6&nbsp;m/s)
|-
|rowspan = "3"|2005
|[[2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics|Central American and Caribbean Championships]]
|[[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]], [[Bahamas]]
||4th
|200m
|[[2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics – Results#200 meters|20.53]] &nbsp;&nbsp;(1.8&nbsp;m/s)
|-
|rowspan = "2"|[[2005 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|rowspan = "2"|[[Helsinki]], [[Finland]]
|6th (qf)
|100 m
|[[2005 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres|10.34]] &nbsp;&nbsp;(−1.0&nbsp;m/s)
|-
| —
|200 m
|[[2005 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 200 metres|DNS]] (h)
|}

==NCAA titles==
*NCAA Indoor Championships
**200 m: 1996, 1997
*NCAA Outdoor Championships
**100 m: 1997
**200 m: 1997

===Track records===

As of 6 September 2024, Thompson holds the following track records for 100&nbsp;metres and 200&nbsp;metres.

====100 metres====

{| class="wikitable" style= "text-align: center"
|-
!Location
!Time
!Windspeed<br>m/s
!Date
|-
|  [[El Paso, Texas]]  ||  9.69  ||  + 5.7  ||  13/04/1996
|-
|  [[Johannesburg]]  ||  9.87<br>[[List of Barbadian records in athletics|NR]]  ||  – 0.2  ||  11/09/1998
|}

====200 metres====

{| class="wikitable" style= "text-align: center"
|-
!Location
!Time
!Windspeed<br>m/s
!Date
|-
|  [[El Paso, Texas]]  ||  20.16  ||  + 5.0  ||  15/04/2000
|-
|  [[Yokohama]]  ||  19.97<br>[[List of Barbadian records in athletics|NR]]  ||  – 0.9  ||  09/09/2000
|}

==References==

{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{World Athletics}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|rec}}
{{s-sports|oly}}
{{succession box
| before = [[Elvis Forde]]
| title = [[List of flag bearers for Barbados at the Olympics|Flagbearer]] for {{BAR}}
| years = [[1996 Summer Olympics|Atlanta 1996]]
| after = [[Andrea Blackett]]
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Footer CAC Champions 100 m Men}}
{{Footer IAAF World Cup Champions 100m Men}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Obadele}}
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Barbadian men sprinters]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Barbados]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Barbados]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Barbados]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1994 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1998 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Central American and Caribbean Games gold medalists for Barbados]]
[[Category:UTEP Miners men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:People educated at Harrison College (Barbados)]]
[[Category:Barbadian expatriates in the United States]]
[[Category:Competitors at the 1998 Central American and Caribbean Games]]
[[Category:Universiade medalists for Barbados]]
[[Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1995 Summer Universiade]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 1998 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes from Bridgetown]]
[[Category:United States collegiate record holders in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in athletics]]