Aretha Thurmond

Bio:
USA Championships
Four-time USA Outdoor champion – 2003 (63.98m/209-11); 2004 (63.55m/208-6); 2006 (62.50m/205-01); 2008 (65.20m/213-11)
Three-time USA Outdoors runner-up – 2009 (62.51m/205-1); 2011 (62.87m/206-3); 2012 (65.18m/213-10)
 
International Championships
Pan Am Games gold medalist – 1999 (59.06m/193-9); 2003 (63.30m/207-8)
 
About Aretha
Thurmond has been among the top, and most consistent, American throwers for the last 10 years. Thurmond has been on five World Championship teams and four Olympic teams; she also served as the team captain for the 2012 Olympic team. Thurmond returned to the top of the podium after having a child in spring of 2007, winning her fourth career national title and second Olympic Trials crown to make her third Olympic Team. In addition to winning her first U.S. discus title in 2003, Thurmond proved her dominance over other U.S. women’s discus throwers by posting nine of the top 11 throws by Americans that season. Not bad for someone who embarked on her track career on a lost bet. She had wanted to play softball in high school, but her physical education teacher wanted her to go out for track. They made a bet that if he could beat her in one-on-one basketball, she would give up softball. He won, and she kept her part of the bargain. She went on to win three state discus titles. Coach Ken Shannon says that Thurmond can be the first American to throw 70 meters (229-8). She says that after a breakthrough 1996 campaign put her on the Olympic team, she pressed too hard in 1997. She was a member of the Project 30 Task Force and is a current member of USATF's Board of Directors. Is an advocate for women’s fitness and health. Mother to son, Theo.

Events & Rankings:Results
2013: 6th at USA Outdoors (58.19/190-11); 3rd at Chicagoland (59.54/195-4); 7th at Rome (61.18/200-8); 7th at adidas Grand Prix (57.55/188-9); 7th at Doha (60.19/197-5); 2nd at Kingston (57.14/187-5)
2012: 5th at Zagreb (59.54m/195-4); 4th at Berlin (60.85m/199-7); 13th in qualifying group of Olympic Games (59.39m/194-10); 8th at Monaco (59.10m/193-10); 7th at Paris (57.72m/189-4); 2nd at Olympic Trials (65.18m/213-10); 6th at Pre Classic (56.50m/185-4); 6th at Shanghai (58.41m/191-7); 1st at Brazil (61.41m/201.5);1st at Auburn Track Classic (63.33m/207-9);3rd at Sydney Track Classic (60.12m/197-3). 2nd at Perth Track Classic (60.96m/200-0).
2011: 6^th in Group “B” of World Outdoors (59.88m/196-6); USA Outdoor runner-up (62.87m/206-3); 2nd at Lausanne (63.85m/209-5); 2nd at Birmingham (62.65m/205-6); 3rd at adidas Grand Prix (59.38m/194-10); 3rd at Shanghai (60.98m/198-1).
2010: 4th at USA Outdoors (59.97m/195-05); 3rd at Oslo (61.80m/202-9); 4th at Doha (62.26m/204-3); 2nd at California Relays (62.47m/204-11); 7th at Paris (60.83m/199-7).
2009: 10th at World Outdoors (59.89m/196-6), 12th in qualifying (61.08m/200-5); USA Outdoor runner-up (62.51m/205-1); 4th at Nike Prefontaine Classic (60.04m/196-11); 2nd at Reebok Grand Prix (61.71m/202-5); 7th at World Athletic Final (59.64m/195-8).
2008: 10th at Olympic Games (59.80m/196-2), 2nd in qualifying (61.90m/203-1); Olympic Trials champion (65.20m/213-11); 2nd at Reebok Grand Prix (63.06m/206-11).
2007: 6th at USA Outdoors (54.96m/180-4); only competed in one meet due to return from pregnancy.
2006: USA Outdoor champion (62.50m/205-01); 2nd at IAAF World Cup (61.83m/202-10); 1st at Modesto Relays (64.41m/211-4); 3rd at Ostrava (62.90m/206-4).
2005: 3rd at USA Outdoors (61.77m/202-08); 11th in Group B qualifying at World Outdoors (47.15m/154-8); 2nd at Halle (63.22m/207-5); 5th at Doha (62.00/203-5); 1st at Zagreb (61.08m/200-4); 1st at Lapua (64.56m/211-9); 1st at Dubnica (63.58m/208-7); 4th at Berlin (61.17m/200-8); 3rd at World Athletics Final (60.68m/199-1); 1st at Athens, Ga. (61.95-203-3).
2004: Olympic Trials champion (63.55m/208-6); 10th in Group B qualifying at Olympic Games (58.82m/193-0); 1st at Mt. SAC (63.37m/207-11); 1st at Marietta (65.86m/216-1PR); 1st at Huntington Beach (65.76m/215-9); 1st at La Jolla (64.73m/212-4); 1st at San Diego (65.38m/214-6); 1st at adidas Oregon (64.73m/212-4); 1st at Payton Jordan US Open (63.79m/209-3); 1st at Grand Prix Brazil (63.43m/208-1); 1st at Szombathely (63.23m/207-5); 1st at Thessaloniki (63.19/207-3); 4th at the IAAF World Athletics Final (63.43m/208-1).
2003: USA champion (63.98m/209-11); Pan Am Games gold medalist (63.30m/207-8); 1st at Carson (64.71m/212-4, U.S. Leader); 10th in qualifying group at World Outdoor (50.79m/166-7); 1st at Gresham (63.44m/208-2); 1st at Mt. SAC (63.13m/207-1); 1st at Belem (62.55m/205-2); 2nd at Monaco (65.10m/213-7 U.S. Leader).
2002: 3rd at USA Outdoors DT (62.41m/204-9); won DT at Nike Prefontaine Classic (63.48m/208-3); 2nd at Oracle U.S. Open (63.21m/207-4) and adidas Oregon Track Classic (63.40m/208-0).
2001: 4th at U.S. Outdoors (59.96m/196-09); 3rd at Modesto Relays (61.64m/202-03); 1st at Sea Ray Relays (61.28m/201-0).
2000: 4th in DT finals at Olympic Trials (60.70m/199-02); 6th at Pontiac Grand Prix (58.75m/192-9).
1999: Won gold at the 1999 Pan Am Games (59.06m/193-9); 3rd at USA Outdoors (193-10); 23rd in qualifying at World Champs (188-8).
1998: Threw American Collegiate record of 215-3 in San Diego in March, only one American had ever thrown farther; 2nd in NCAA DT (192-5); 3rd in USA Outdoors DT (198-5); won Pac-10 DT (208-11).
1997: 4th in DT (190-7) at NCAA; 5th in DT (196-5) at USA Outdoors; 6th in DT (184-1) at World University Games; 3rd in DT at Pac-10 (189-10); 4th in SP (48-9); also 162-7 PR in the hammer.
1996: 3rd in DT (190-5) at Olympic Trials; 34th in DT qualifying (183-10) at Olympic Games; 3rd in DT (189-10) at NCAA; 16th in SP (44-7.5); won DT (195-9) at Pac-10; 3rd in SP (50-3.5). 
1995: 4th in Pac-10 DT (166-7); 7th in DT (173-3 PR) at NCAA; 5th in DT (158-11) at USA Juniors.
1994: Won Washington HS DT and SP; 3rd at Golden West (157-1).
1993: Won Washington HS DT. 
1992: Won Washington HS DT. 
1991: 2nd in Washington HS state DT.
 
USA/World Rankings and Personal Bests
2013: Outdoor bests - discus, 62.21/204-1 (No. 3 in the USA, No. 26 in the World, No. 4 in the USA by T&FN)
2012: Outdoor bests - discus, 63.44m/208-2 (No. 3 in the USA, No. 21 in the world, ranked No. 2 in the USA by T&FN)
2011: Outdoor bests – discus, 63.85m/209-5 (No. 3 in the USA, No. 11 in the world, ranked No. 2 in the USA by T&FN)
2010: Outdoor bests – discus, 62.47m/204-11 (No. 3 in the USA, No. 16 in the world, ranked No. 2 in the USA & ranked No. 8 in the world by T&FN)
2009: Outdoor bests – discus, 62.51m/205-1 (No. 2 in the USA by T&FN, No. 19 in the world)
2008: Outdoor bests – discus, 65.20m/213-11 (No. 2 in the USA by T&FN, No. 6 in the world, ranked No. 10 in the world by T&FN)
2007: Outdoor bests – discus, 54.96m/180-3 (No. 14 in the USA)
2006: Outdoor bests – discus, 64.41m/211-4 (No. 1 in the USA, No. 9 in the world, ranked No. 6 in the world by T&FN)
2005: Outdoor bests – discus, 64.56m/211-9 (No. 1 in the USA by T&FN, No. 10 in the world, ranked No. 5 in the world by T&FN)
2004: Outdoor bests – discus, 65.86m/216-1 (No. 1 in the USA by T&FN, No. 9 in the world, ranked No. 7 in the world by T&FN)
2003: Outdoor bests – discus, 65.10m/213-7 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 11 in the world, ranked No. 1 in the USA & ranked No. 8 in the world by T&FN)
2002: Outdoor bests – discus, 65.10m/213-7 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 5 in the world, ranked No. 3 in the USA & ranked No. 10 in the world by T&FN)
2001: Indoor bests – shot put, 14.93m/48-11.75; Outdoor bests – shot put, 15.27m/50-1.25; discus, 61.64m/202-2 (No. 4 in the USA by T&FN, No. 33 in the world)
2000: Outdoor bests – discus, 62.91m/206-4 (No. 4 in the USA by T&FN, No. 29 in the world)
1999: Indoor bests – shot put, 14.79m/48-6.25; Outdoor bests – discus, 62.15m/203-11 (No. 3 in the USA, No. 31 in the world)
1998: Indoor bests – shot put, 15.91m/52-2.5; Outdoor bests – shot put, 15.67m/51-5; discus, 63.68m/208-11; hammer, 51.26m/168-2 (ranked No. 2 in the USA by T&FN)
1997: Indoor bests – shot put, 14.58m/47-10; Outdoor bests – shot put, 15.29m/50-2; discus, 59.88m/196-5.5 (ranked No. & in the USA by T&FN)
1996: Outdoor bests – discus, 60.50m/198-6 (ranked No. 3 in the USA by T&FN)