Donald Thomas (athlete)
Donald Thomas ( born July 1, 1984 in Freeport, Bahamas ) is a track and field athlete from the Bahamas. He was 2007 World Champion in the high jump.
As a student at Lindenwood University in Missouri Thomas played basketball. Because of its huge bounce invited him to an athletic trainer, but it once to try the high jump. After he jumped 2.20 meters at first, he began the systematic training.
International success
He had his first international use. During the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne There he jumped 2.23 meters personal best, finishing in fourth place. With the same level as the third-ranked Cypriot Kyriakos Ioannou he had the greater number of failed attempts. It won the Canadian Mark Boswell before the British Martyn Bernard, each 2.26 meters.
In 2007, he improved to about 2.33 meters to 2.35 meters, which he jumped in Salamanca in July. On the same plant Javier Sotomayor jumped in 1993 the existing high jump world record of 2.45 meters. At the World Championships in Osaka, he traveled to the first of the year leaderboard, only the Swede Stefan Holm had also crossed in the open air season 2007 2.35 meters.
In the final of Osaka five Springer attempted to 2.35 meters. Stefan Holm and the Russian Jaroslav Rybakov were no mistrial in the lead. Kyriakos Ioannou had mastered 2.33 meters in the second trial, Thomas in the third attempt. Also still in competition was Martyn Bernard, who missed all heights after jumping in the third experiment 2.21 meters. Thomas crossed 2.35 meters in the first attempt, Rybakov and Ioannou in the second trial, Holm and Bernard retired from. At 2.37 meters failed all three jumpers and Thomas was world champion before Rybakov and Ioannou.
At the World Athletics Championships in Berlin in 2009, Thomas failed to qualify for the final. After he was able to skip 2.27 meters at the second attempt, he failed then at 2.30 meters and could accommodate 8 in Group B competition not continue.
At the World Athletics Championships 2011 in Daegu Thomas reached the finals. As third in Group B, he qualified with 2.31 meters. In the final, he failed at the second placed height. With 2.20 meters Thomas was 11
Technology
In the early days of his career high jump Thomas took a rather unconventional jumping technique. A lanky start combined with a lot to the nearby jump point and a strongly bent left leg jump was completed with a kicking leg movement crossing the bar. Measurements showed that his jump point was at that time only about 70 cm in front of the bar, which is compared with the Swedish Olympic champion Stefan Holm of 2004 with 110 cm significantly shorter. An advantage of the effects of a pulse curve as it takes place at the Fosbury flop, almost came not to train with Thomas. You can say he would have in the state can jump with the same results over the bar.
Physiological studies have revealed that Thomas ' enormous potential jump an unusually long Achilles tendon and strong leg muscles originate. A contrast technique accomplished high jumper generates its height, in addition to the specification of the technique by a trained habits of hardening of the Achilles tendon. As with a mechanical spring ( coil spring ), the cure to faster and more accurate return point of the energy used during start and altitude.
The half-hearted application of the best technology in Thomas ' high jump beginnings can also lead back to the then lack of motivation. His hopes for a foothold in the American Basketball League NBA were great. Only the change in attitude of his sportlerischen orientation could introduce him to a meticulous elaboration of jumping technique.
Varia
Thomas is the second high jump world champion of the Bahamas. In 1995, Troy Kemp, who also holds the national record of 2.38 meters with Bahamas.
Stature
Donald Thomas is 1.90 meters tall and weighs about 75 kilograms.