Anika Thompson

Anika Thompson

Personal information
Born	(2003-02-22) 22 February 2003 (age 22)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Long distance running, Cross country running
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	3000m: 9:05.75 (Fayetteville, 2025) 5000m: 15:31.93 (Boston, 2024) 10,000m: 32:31.47 (Bergen, 2025)
Medal record Women's athletics Representing   Ireland European U23 Championships 2025 Bergen 10000m 2025 Bergen 5000m

Anika Thompson (born 22 February 2003) is an Irish long-distance runner. She won the 10,000 metres at the 2025 European Athletics U23 Championships. ^[1]

Career

Born and raised in Oregon but representing Ireland through her Mother from Cork, Ireland, she is a member of Leevale Athletics Club. ^[2] Speaking in 2025, she said "I grew up going to Ireland every summer and it was a dream of mine to grow up and represent Ireland in track and field". ^{[3] [4]}

She won the Irish national U20 cross country race in Donegal in November 2022. ^{[5] [6]} She subsequently made her international debut for Ireland at the 2022 European Cross Country Championships in Turin, Italy finishing 52nd. ^{[7] [8]}

She lowered her personal best for the 10,000 metres to 33:51.70 in March 2023 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. She was later selected for the 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships in the 10,000m, finishing in eleventh place overall in Espoo, Finland. ^[9]

She broke the U23 10,000m Irish national record in California in March 2024. ^[10] She ran for Ireland over that distance at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome, placing twentieth overall. ^{[11] [12]}

Competing for the University of Oregon she finished seventh in the West Regionals cross country championships to help the Oregon Ducks gain automatic equalisation for the 2024 NCAA Cross Country Championships. ^[13] She finished second over 5000 metres and fourth over 3000 metres at the Big Ten Conference Indoor Championships in February 2025. ^[14]

She ran a 20-second personal best and set a new Irish under-23 record to win the gold medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2025 European Athletics U23 Championships in Bergen, Norway on 18 July 2025, running a time of 32:31.47. ^[15] She returned to the championship two days later and won the bronze medal over 5000 metres. ^[16]

References

1. "Anika Thompson". World Athletics. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
2. Dennehy, Cathal (18 July 2025). "Anika Thompson strikes gold as Nicola Tuthill wins silver at European U-23 Championships". Independent.ie. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
3. Broadbent, Chris (18 July 2025). "Thompson wins Ireland's second ever European U23 gold at Bergen 2025". European Athletics. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
4. "Four Cork Athletes named on Irish Team". 96fm.ie. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
5. "Irish Cross Country Championships: Mageean second in Donegal as Griggs wins". BBC Sport. 20 November 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
6. "Bantry's Darragh McElhinney claims a national cross country title". Echolive.ie. 20 Nov 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
7. "Three Cork Women selected for European Cross-Country Championships 2022". Cork Athletics. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
8. "28th SPAR European Cross Country Championships". World Athletics. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
9. Lawlor, Damian (13 November 2023). "Irish U23 women challenging for European Cross Country selection". Irish Runner. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
10. "European Athletics Championships: All you need to know on Day 5 in Rome". Imdepemdent.ie. 11 June 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
11. Boyle, Callum (11 June 2024). "Two Irish stars to feature in tonight's women's 10,000m European Athletics Championships final" . Retrieved 18 July 2025.
12. "European Athletics Championships". World Athletics. 11 June 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
13. "Three Big Ten Women's Cross Country Teams Qualify for NCAA Championships". bigten.org. 15 November 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
14. Hansen, Chris. "Oregon track and field sweeps Big Ten Indoor championships". Register Guard. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
15. "European Athletics U23 Championships". World Athletics. 18 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
16. Mills, Steven (20 Jul 2025). "Forero eases to European U23 5000m gold in Bergen". European Athletics. Retrieved 20 July 2025.