Kurt and Beckie, who wed in 1996, operated the Kurt Thomas Gymnastics Training Center in Frisco, Texas, which has hosted USAG-sanctioned Kurt Thomas International Invitational gymnastics meet annually since 2003. He helped take the mens gymnastics team to the 1977 national collegiate championship and ranked behind only Larry Bird, the future basketball Hall of Famer, as a campus celebrity. Wes Unseld, Washington Bullets Player and Beloved Coach, Dies at 74, Simone Biles Cried When She Learned About Olympics Postponement But Says It Was 'Right Decision, Olympian Katie Ledecky Says 'Go for the Gold' After She's Named Best Female Athlete at 2022 ESPY Awards, Sports Legend Jim Thorpe Restored as Sole Winner of 1912 Olympic Gold Medals: 'Long Past Time', Russian Swimmer Under Investigation, Loses Speedo Sponsorship After Attending Vladimir Putin Rally, This Week in Black History: Rosa Parks, Hank Aarons and More Noteworthy Black Icons to Celebrate. Kurt Thomas died on June 5, 2020, at the age of 64. The Miami native passed away on Friday 5 June, following a stroke, caused by a tear of the basilar artery in the brain stem. The report was obtained by 9NEWS and The Denver Post. Yesterday, I lost my universe, my best friend, and my soulmate of 24 years. Thomas' family told the International Gymnastic Magazine that he died on Friday. He was born on March 29, 1956, in Miami, Florida, United States. Kurt Thomas, shown at the 1979 world championships in Fort Worth, died Friday, according to his family. Amendments to H.Res.175 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): Recognizing the rise of cardiovascular disease as the world's leading cause of preventable death and disability and as the global public health crisis of this generation and supporting the recognition of February 2023 as "American Heart Month". A life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered. Death Records are kept by Vital Records Offices or Dallas County Clerk's Offices, which may be run by the state or at the . [3][16] Thomas and his wife ran the Kurt Thomas Gymnastics Training Center in Frisco, Texas. Ledecky swept her four races 400m, 800m and 1500m frees, plus the 4x200m free relay. In the 1979 worlds in Fort Worth he successfully defended the floor exercise title and won the horizontal bar while adding silver in the all-around, pommel horse and parallel bars. Thomas died nearly two weeks after suffering bleeding from his basilar artery, which led to a severe stroke. These patients typically experience recurrent on-and-off attacks of hemiparesis and dysarthria. But at 14 he watched the MiamiDade Junior College gymnastics team at a practice and was impressed. Stolzs time was three hundredths shy of the fastest time in history at or around sea level (also set at the Thialf) and two hundredths off his American record, which was set at altitude in Calgary in December. He had a stroke May 24, caused by a tear of the basilar artery in the brain stem. The vertebral arteries leave the Circle of Willis and combine to form the basilar artery, which then divides into the posterior cerebral arteries. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. On April 8th, 1994, Nirvana's front-man Kurt Cobain was found dead in his house in Seattle. Kurt Thomas Gymnast had been married to his wife Rebecca Jones since 1996. He starred at Indiana State and led the Sycamores to an NCAA team title in 1977. Thomas took part in professional gymnastics shows and worked as a TV commentator at gymnastics events later in the 1980s, when the Olympics were still limited to amateurs. Sending hugs to his wife Beckie, his children, Hunter, Kassidy and Kurt as well as the entire gymnastics community, who lost a true pioneer today. Kurt was a fierce rival, who went on to become a cherished friend. Though our words can do little, we hope our thoughts and prayers will encourage you this period and always as you mourn, the passing soul. I am completely devastated to hear this, said Olympic teammate Bart Conner. June 6, 2020 8:39 PM PT. Prior to his death, Thomas suffered a tear of the basilar artery in the brain stem, which caused him to have a severe stroke on May 24. That led to the Thomas flair being adopted as a technique on the pommel horse, Vault reported. Kurt Thomas is seen as a good-hearted individual, loving and selfless. He was an innovator on pommel horse where the Thomas Flair was entered into the Code of Points and the floor exercise, where his Thomas Salto dismount was considered so dangerous it eventually was banned from competition. Thats because the original gold medalist Dutch team was disqualified, reportedly because one of its skaters ankles was not covered. His family confirmed the news and said that Thomas suffered a stroke on May 24, caused by a tear of the basilar artery in the brain stem. And will be dearly missed by family, friends, and everyone. By John Newby - June 7, 2020 05:12 pm EDT. [3][1], Since the Olympics' strict amateurism rules at the time would have forced him to forgo many lucrative financial opportunities, Thomas elected not to attempt to compete in the 1984 Summer Olympics. Opens in a new tab or window, suffering bleeding from his basilar artery, Abnormal oculomotor signs such as nystagmus (repetitive, uncontrolled eye movements), Limb weakness (unilateral, hemiparesis, or quadriparesis), Blurry vision and/or visual field deficits. An ischemic stroke, which accounts for 87% of strokes, is caused by a blockage of a blood vessel supplying the section of brain supplied by that vessel. He died on June 5 at the age of 64. [9] With professionals allowed to compete by the time of the 1992 Summer Olympics, Thomas attempted a comeback. Legal Statement. "I am completely devastated to hear this, said Bart Conner, an Olympic teammate. He was 64. Thomas stepped away competition after 1980 and starred in the 1985 movie Gymkata and worked as a television commentator. He was also a three-time (1978-79-80) American Cup Champion. At 36-years-old, he attempted a comeback in 1989 with a view to competing at the Barcelona 1992 Olympics, but did not proceed from the USA trials. Michele R. Berman, MD, and Mark S. Boguski, MD, PhD, Share on Facebook. by [1] In 1979, he won six medals at the world championship, setting the record for most medals won at a single world championship by an American gymnast, a feat matched only by Simone Biles in 2018. The most common causes are atherosclerosis or thromboembolism. Its the largest margin in mens 500m history at worlds if you divide margins in half from championships when the 500m was two races. "Kurt was a fierce rival, who went on to become a cherished friend. Medpage Today is among the federally registered trademarks of MedPage Today, LLC and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. Kurt lived his life to the extreme, and I will be forever honored to be his wife, wife Beckie Thomas told the outlet. Wiki, Biography, Age, Wife, Children, Cause of Death, Instagram, Net Worth, Who is Reche Caldwell? Erin Jackson, the Olympic champion, was the top American in fifth. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Flipboard (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Katie Ledeckys nine-year domestic win streak snapped by Summer McIntosh, Alpine skiing TV, live stream schedule for 2022-23 World Cup season, Summer McIntosh breaks world junior record at Pro Series swim meet, American Jordan Stolz becomes youngest world champion in speed skating history, his 2003 International Gymnastics Hall of Fame induction speech. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Thomas had a stroke May 24, caused by a tear of the basilar artery in the brain stem. At last Junes world championships, Ledecky and McIntosh were the top female swimmers. The first American to win a world championship in mens gymnastics, he captured many medals but missed out on his best chance to take Olympic gold. The flair involved, in the midst of what looks like a typical routine, Thomas suddenly flies into a series of whirling midair leg scissors, as if blown around the horse by a giant fan.. Opens in a new tab or window, Visit us on YouTube. Everyone so much cherished . Kurt Thomas Obituary - Death: Gymnast Kurt Thomas Obituary | Kurt Thomas Cause Of Death Kurt Thomas Obituary: In the loving memory of Kurt Thomas, we are saddened to inform you that Kurt Thomas, a. Michele R. Berman, MD, and Mark S. Boguski, MD, PhD Kurt Thomas Death - Cause Of Death : It is with deep sense of loss and heavy heart that friends and family Thomas announced the unexpected death of their beloved Kurt Thomas has passed away. High blood pressure and aneurysms are examples of conditions that can cause hemorrhagic stroke. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released a file regarding the death of late Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain, more . In December, they returned to an Olympic-size pool at the U.S. Open in Greensboro, North Carolina. Kurt Thomas was born on March 29, 1956, in Miami, Florida, United States as Kurt Bilteaux Thomas. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. I was singing the national anthem, and at the end of it I closed my eyes, and I dropped my head and I remembered that moment, and I can still remember that moment to this day, Thomas said in his 2003 International Gymnastics Hall of Fame induction speech. As the most energy-intensive organ in the body, it follows that the brain is also the most perfused organ in the body. He died on June 5, 2020. He was 64. He is mens gymnastics Baryshnikov.. The beloved singer, who suffered from heroin addiction and mental illness, was discovered by electrician Gary Smith, who had arrived to install a security system. Who is Kurt Thomas? Thomas had a son from a previous marriage, Kurt Travis. Kurt became a commentator, acted in a film, and opened his own gymnastics school, according to Screencrush. But Ledecky did swim the 200m free at Julys national championships, posting a time that would have won the world title by 42 hundredths of a second. In retirement he worked as a TV analyst and gymnastics coach in his home town of Texas. Kurt was a fierce rival, who went on to become a cherished friend, two-time Olympic gold medalist Bart Conner posted on Twitter. The internal carotid arteries supply the anterior brain and the vertebral arteries supply the brainstem and posterior brain. Or, perhaps he was pushed. Sorry, you have Javascript Disabled! Also Friday, the U.S. womens team pursuit squad of Brittany Bowe, Mia Kilburg and Giorgia Birkelandwere upgraded from fourth place to bronze minutes after the event. Kurt became a commentator, acted in a film, and opened his own gymnastics school, according to Screencrush. He and Beckie owned and ran Kurt Thomas Gymnastics in Frisco, Texas. Thomas won the AAUs 1979 James E. Sullivan Award as the nations top amateur and was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2003. Kurt Thomas, the first U.S. male gymnast to win a gold medal at the world championships,died of complications from a stroke, his family said Friday. Thomas suffered a stroke in late May and died June 5, the website reported. My heart is breaking for his wife Beckie, his children, Hunter, Kassidy, and Kurt as well as the entire gymnastics community, who lost a true pioneer today., document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), Who is Kurt Thomas? In 2003, he was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. STAR SPRINTER EYES A ROILED NATION AND RACE IN ALL ITS FORMS. %privacy_policy%. Thomas, who reportedly appeared on The Johnny Carson Show five times, continues to be referred to often during gymnastics broadcasts, given he invented a popular pommel horse skill the Thomas flair. Michele R. Berman, MD, and Mark S. Boguski, MD, PhD, are a wife and husband team of physicians who have trained and taught at some of the top medical schools in the country, including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Washington University in St. Louis. RIP @3XGold pic.twitter.com/xKAYknen94. 0. Kurt Thomas Gymnast Biography Kurt Thomas Gymnast Wiki, Who is Kurt Thomas Wife? I say, Yeah, but you know, I went to the world championships and I won. Cause of Death Kurt became a commentator, acted in a film, and opened his own gymnastics school, according to Screencrush. A life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered. He won by a whopping 36 hundredths of a second over Canadian Laurent Dubreuil, the previous world champion. Oluwaseun et al. who also captured the American Cup three times, lost a chance for Olympic gold when the United States boycotted the 1980 Moscow Games. All of us in the gymnastics family are sadden, shocked and devastated by the passing of our own, Nadia Comaneci tweeted. I always joke that in the second half of my career, maybe Ill do it [focus on the 400m IM].. I hope I can bring back popularity, in speed skating in the U.S., Stolz said. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The official ruling was that Kurt accidentally fell off the cliff overlooking the bay; that he intended to go swimming in the bay, started to climb down the cliff, lost his balance, and died when he hit the bottom. [3] Despite his advanced age for a gymnast, he was able to make it to the 1992 United States Men's Gymnastics Olympic Trials, but his performance there fell short of what was needed to make the team. In the run-up to the 1980 Moscow Games, television was raising Thomass profile. Peacock airs live coverage of worlds. He and Beckie went on to own and operate Kurt Thomas Gymnastics in Frisco, Texas. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and is a major cause of serious disability in adults. A unique soul with a great personality has an amazing sense of humor, diligent and caring. Thomas became known in the gymnastics world for his creativity and flair, and his legacy will live on in the sport through his signature Thomas Flair move on the pommel horse and the Thomas Salto on floor exercise. We encourage you all to respect the dead and accord the family heartbroken with the loss of a cherished one, some privacy as you leave a message in the comment session. In 1978, he became the first American male gymnast to win a gold medal at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships (world championships).