Iwan Thomas

Iwan Thomas is an Olympic medallist and a former European and World champion. He became the fastest 400m British runner after breaking the record in 1997 in 44.36s. Since retiring from athletics, he has been a regular presenter on The One Show and an accomplished live-events presenter, having hosted the last four world athletics Championships. After a youthful stint as a world-class BMX rider, Thomas dedicated himself to running.

Between 1996 and 1998, he established himself as one of the world’s fastest men, taking gold in both the 400m and the 4x400m at the European Championships, silver at the Olympics and gold at the Worlds. His British 400m record of 44.36s stood for nearly 25 years, yet even in his prime niggling injuries were already beginning to limit his ability to compete with the best. His response to setbacks had always been to train even harder, but increasingly that was no longer an option.

Without the structure of training, the motivation of competition and the buzz of race day, Thomas struggled, suffering an extended period of anxiety and depression before eventually coming to terms with his life as a former athlete.