Kurt Thomas, first US man to win world gymnastics title, dies at 64
The gymnastics community is mourning the passing of Kurt Thomas, a 1976 Olympian and three-time World gold medalist.
Thomas died on Friday after suffering a stroke on May 24 that was caused by the tear of the basilar artery in the brain stem. He was 64.
“Yesterday I lost my universe, my best friend and my soul mate of twenty-four years. Kurt lived his life to the extreme, and I will be forever honored to be his wife,” Beckie Thomas told International Gymnast Magazine.
“We are profoundly saddened by the passing of Kurt Thomas,” said USA Gymnastics CEO Li Li Leung. “Beyond the accolades, Kurt was one of the most inspiring and influential male gymnasts in our nation’s history, and he will be greatly missed by our entire community. Our thoughts remain with the Thomas family during this difficult time.”
Career
After competing at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Thomas became the first U.S. man to win a gold medal at the World Championships with his win on floor exercise at the 1978 Strasbourg Worlds. He would go on to win six more World medals the next year in Fort Worth, Texas, including gold on high bar and another on floor.
Coming off a stellar 1979 season, Thomas was a favorite to win a gold at the 1980 Olympics, but the games were boycotted by the United States. After the boycott was announced, Thomas turned pro and went on to perform in professional shows, as well as starring in the 1985 movie Gymkata.
Thomas worked as an analyst for ABC during the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. With professionals allowed to compete at the 1992 Olympics, Thomas attempted a comeback and advanced to the 1992 Olympic Trials at the age of 36.
In addition to his accolades on the world stage, Thomas had an extremely successful college career at Indiana State University, where he was a six-time NCAA champion; five times as an individual and one time with his team. He earned All-America honors 13 times in his career.
In 1979, Thomas became the first gymnast to earn the AAU James E. Sullivan Award. He was also the 1979 Nissen-Emery Award winner. He was named to the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1990, and in 2003, he was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
| World Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
 | 1978 Strasbourg | Floor exercise |
| 1979 Ft. Worth | Floor exercise |
| 1979 Ft. Worth | Horizontal bar |
 | 1979 Ft. Worth | All-around |
| 1979 Ft. Worth | Parallel bars |
| 1979 Ft. Worth | Pommel horse |
 | 1979 Ft. Worth | Team competition |
| Pan American Games | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1975 Mexico City | Pommel horse |
| 1975 Mexico City | Vault |
| 1975 Mexico City | All-around |
| 1975 Mexico City | Horizontal bar |
| American Cup | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1978 New York | All-Around |
| 1979 New York | All-Around |
| 1980 New York | All-Around |
| NCAA Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1977 Arizona State | Team |
| 1977 Arizona State | All-Around |
| 1977 Arizona State | Parallel Bars |
| 1979 LSU | All-Around |
| 1979 LSU | Parallel Bars |
| 1979 LSU | High Bar |
Signature moves
The three-time American Cup champion and six-time NCAA champion had two skills named after him, including the “Thomas Flair” on pommel horse, and the “Thomas Salto,” a tucked 1.5 into 1.5 roll out on floor.
Thomas Flair
Thomas Salto
Personal life
Kurt Thomas was born on March 29, 1956, in Miami, Florida.
In 1996, he married Rebecca “Beckie” Jones, a dancer and choreographer. The pair had two children together, Kassidy and Hunter Thomas. Thomas also had Kurt Travis, a singer, from a previous marriage.
Thomas was a longtime member of the gymnastics community and, with Beckie, owned and operated Kurt Thomas Gymnastics in Frisco, Texas. his gym has hosted the USAG-sanctioned Kurt Thomas International Invitational gymnastics meet annually since 2003.
