Kurt Thomas was the first American male gymnast to win gold at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.Thomas was a student at Indiana State University when he competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, though he didn’t medal there.
He went home to win NCAA events in parallel bars in 1977 and 1979, leading his school’s team to the 1977 National Championship.
In 1978, Thomas went to the World Championships and broke new ground for U.S. male gymnastics, winning a gold medal in floor exercises in a sport that had been dominated by Asian and European competitors.
He won gold again in 1979 – and that same year, he was honored with the Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the U.S.
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