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Former Olympic hurdler Eric Thomas, who is considered one of the greatest athletes from the U.S., recently passed away unexpectedly in Houston, Texas.
Thomas was 49 years old at the time of his death. It is believed the cause of death was a blood clot.
He participated in the 2000 Summer Olympic Games representing the United States. Thomas ran the 400-meter hurdles and reportedly finished in the top 15.
Thomas was recovering from a recent hip replacement.
Information from his biography revealed that he was six years old when his father died. Thomas and his five siblings were raised by his mother.
His biography also said Thomas credited sports with keeping him and his older brother from getting into trouble, unlike some of their classmates.
“As a middle school student, he was the team manager for various sports at the local high school,” the biography continued.
“The opportunity allowed him to learn how to interact with coaches and older athletes. Filling up water bottles, joining huddles, and listening taught him numerous lessons at the early stages of his athletic career.”
“Thomas played football, basketball, track, and baseball in high school and earned a football and track scholarship to Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas, a school that had produced over 20 Olympians.”
The Daily Sentinel reported that he was the fastest hurdler in the nation during his freshman year.
At that time, Thomas said, “My coach sat me down and told me I could probably be an Olympic athlete.”
Thomas made the Olympic team in 2000 and earned a spot as an alternate on the 1996 Olympic team. In total, he won silver medals in the 1999 and 2003 Pan-American Games.
The Daily Sentinel reported that “His father’s heart attack also led the track star to a life of promoting health.”
#RIP Eric Thomas 🇺🇸🏃♂️(49)
Hurdler who was part of #TeamUSA at the 2000 #Olympics when he came 9th in the 400m Hurdles
🥈 1999 & 2003 Pan-American. 400m hurdles pic.twitter.com/0vrFXhm1cS
— Sporting Obituaries (@SportIconObit) January 1, 2023
“Thomas was a master of track and excelled at what he wanted to master and excel at,” said retired Daily Sentinel sports editor Kevin Gore.
Gore continued, “He maximized his God-given ability and talents. He got every drop out.”
The people in his hometown were saddened by the news of his death and had said he was “one of the greatest athletes to ever come out of Garrison.”
“And he was just an all-around great guy and a good person to know,” said Mayor Keith Yarbrough.
“Eric truly touched a lot of people here in Garrison,” said Mayor Keith Yarbrough.
“You know, he went off as a pro track athlete, and he would often come back home and give back to Garrison in many different ways. He had a lot of track camps set up at the high school where he would help the children and teach them different methods and stuff about running track.
