Olympic Games Gold Medalist Athlete. Born in a small town near Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Thomson's family relocated to California for his mother's health when he was eight years old. At age 14 he sustained an accidental shotgun blast to the chest--the wound was thought fatal by doctors, but he survived. Thomson went on to attend Long Beach Polytechnic College, where he won the 120 yard hurdles at the 1915 California State Meet. He also was second in the High Jump and fourth in the Discus, He then went to the University of Southern California for one year and then transferred to Dartmouth College. In 1918, Thompson had already won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championships in the high hurdles, and in 1920, he set a new world record in the 110 m hurdles, running 14.4. This record would remain unbeaten until 1931. Thomson had retained his Canadian citizen and in 1916 he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving during World War I. He then returned to finish his education at Dartmouth and be elected the captain of the 1921 track team. His Canadian citizenship and service with the RCAF was ruled to make him ineligible for the US team in the 1920 Olympic games in Antwerp. He then qualified for the 1920 Canadian Olympic team. He went on to win a gold medal in the 110 meter hurdles, becoming the first-ever non-US gold medalist in that event. The following year he equaled his own world record, and won the AAU, IC4A and NCAA championships. That year he also won the 220 yard low hurdles. He retired after his third AAU title, in 1922. Thomson went on to became a well-known coach in the US. He started at Dartmouth, his alma mater, then moved to the University of West Virginia, and then spent 37 years as the head track coach at the United States Naval Academy. He was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1955. *
Olympic Games Gold Medalist Athlete. Born in a small town near Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Thomson's family relocated to California for his mother's health when he was eight years old. At age 14 he sustained an accidental shotgun blast to the chest--the wound was thought fatal by doctors, but he survived. Thomson went on to attend Long Beach Polytechnic College, where he won the 120 yard hurdles at the 1915 California State Meet. He also was second in the High Jump and fourth in the Discus, He then went to the University of Southern California for one year and then transferred to Dartmouth College. In 1918, Thompson had already won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championships in the high hurdles, and in 1920, he set a new world record in the 110 m hurdles, running 14.4. This record would remain unbeaten until 1931. Thomson had retained his Canadian citizen and in 1916 he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving during World War I. He then returned to finish his education at Dartmouth and be elected the captain of the 1921 track team. His Canadian citizenship and service with the RCAF was ruled to make him ineligible for the US team in the 1920 Olympic games in Antwerp. He then qualified for the 1920 Canadian Olympic team. He went on to win a gold medal in the 110 meter hurdles, becoming the first-ever non-US gold medalist in that event. The following year he equaled his own world record, and won the AAU, IC4A and NCAA championships. That year he also won the 220 yard low hurdles. He retired after his third AAU title, in 1922. Thomson went on to became a well-known coach in the US. He started at Dartmouth, his alma mater, then moved to the University of West Virginia, and then spent 37 years as the head track coach at the United States Naval Academy. He was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1955. *
Bio by: O'side Native
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Next to Anne Cookman Thomson. *Bio provided by Member #48277533.
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