Hector THOMAS MARTINEZ

Héctor Thomas was South America's best decathlete in the 1960s. Four times, he won the decathlon at the South American Championships (1963, 1965, 1969 and 1971). In 1963, he also added gold medals in the javelin and long jump, and he also won championship medals in the 100 m sprint, and the shot put. At the Pan American Games, Thomas faced opposition from the best US decathletes, but medalled twice, in 1963 (bronze) and 1967 (silver), after finishing fourth in 1959. At the 1963 Pan American Games he was also on the silver medal winning 4×100 metres relay team (with Horacio Esteves, Arquímedes Herrera, and Rafael Romero). Besides making the Venezuelan Olympic team twice, he also won the 1962 pentathlon title at the Central American and Caribbean Games, and the decathlon at the 1960 and 1962 editions of the Ibero American Games. Thomas, who died of cancer at age 70, was honoured with induction in the Venezuelan Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.

Personal Best: Dec – 7221 (1967).