Thomas Garrigus
| Thomas Garrigus | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 9, 1946 Hillsboro, Oregon |
| Died |
December 29, 2006 (aged 60) Plains, Montana |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Hillsboro High School |
| Known for | 1968 Olympic Silver Medal |
| Children | Robert Garrigus |
Thomas Irvin Garrigus (November 9, 1946 – December 29, 2006) was an American Olympic athlete who competed in shooting sports. A native of Oregon, he competed at the 1968 Summer Games where he won a silver medal, and later served as a coach.
Early life
Garrigus was born in Hillsboro, Oregon[1] to Donald and Wanda (née Williams) Garrigus.[2] He was raised in Hillsboro, a western suburb of Portland, and began skeet shooting at the age of three.[2][3] There he graduated from Hillsboro High School before joining the United States Air Force, serving from 1965 to 1969.[2][3]
Olympics
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's shooting | ||
Competitor for  United States
| ||
| Silver | 1968 Mexico City | Trap |
In 1968, Garrigus won a spot on the United States Olympic Team to compete at the Summer Games held in Mexico City, and was still a member of the U.S. Air Force Shooting Team.[2][4] He was the youngest member of the U.S. shooting team at the Games.[3] Competing in shooting for Men's Trap, he won the silver medal for this shotgun event.[4][5] Garrigus tied for second place in the event, with John Braithwaite of the United Kingdom winning the gold medal with a world record score of 198.[6]
Held on October 19, the event had a three-way tie for second place between Garrigus, Kurt Czekalla of East Germany, and Pavel Senichev of the Soviet Union all with a score of 196.[7] In the first shoot-off between the three competitors, Czekalla and Garrigus had scores of 25 in this event where clay pigeons are shot, while Senichev was eliminated with a score of 22.[7] Garrigus then defeated the East German in the second shoot-off with a score of 25 to 23.[7] This was the highest finish for an American in the event since Mark Arie won the gold medal in 1920.[2]
Later life and family
After leaving the Air Force, Garrigus returned to Oregon and enrolled at Western Business College (now Everest College) and went on to work primarily as a salesperson.[2] He also served as a coach with the U.S. Shooting Team from 1992 to 2002.[2][8] Garrigus lived in Oregon, where he served as the director for the Hillsboro Trap & Skeet Club before moving to Idaho where he was the director of the Boise Gun Club.[2] In 1993 he married his wife Jackie, and they moved to Montana in 2006 to retire.[2] From two previous marriages, he had two sons, Thomas Bradley and Robert.[2] Son Robert Garrigus is a professional golfer.[9] In 1996, he worked as a referee for the shooting events at the Summer Games in Atlanta and was a torch bearer on the route through Salem, Oregon.[2] Garrigus died in Plains, Montana at the age of 60.[2]
References
- ↑ Thomas Garrigus. databaseSports.com. Retrieved on May 15, 2008.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 BoiseGunClub.com - The Last Post. Boise Gun Club. Reprint from the Idaho Statesman, January 31, 2007. Retrieved on May 15, 2008.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Garrigus wins silver in shooting at Olympics. The Hillsboro Argus, October 19, 1976.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Summer Olympics Medals. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved on May 15, 2008.
- ↑ Historic Men's Shooting Clay Pigeon Trap Shooting. CNNSI.com. Retrieved on May 15, 2008.
- ↑ Olympic Games Medallists - Shooting. Athletics Weekly. Retrieved on May 15, 2008.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Shooting: Trap: Men: Olympic Games 1968 at Mexico City. Sports 123. Retrieved on May 15, 2008.
- ↑ U.S. Shooting Team Officials List. U.S. Shooting Team Alumni Association. Retrieved on May 15, 2008.
- ↑ Tokito, Mike. At a Glance. The Oregonian, December 5, 2003.