Craig
Thompson

Place of birthSwindon

Age31
Height5' 7"
Weight80kg

Craig Thompson is a World Cup and World Championship medalist with more than 75 international races under his belt.  

Craig won his maiden World Cup medal when he claimed silver in Igls in January 2021 - the third medal of the season for the men's team that term after an eight-year absence from the podium. 

He won World Championship bronze in the Team event alongside Brogan Crowley in St Moritz in 2023, having missed out on a medal in the individual race by just one hundredth of a second two days earlier.

He has appeared at four World Championships and twice made the top five in his five European Championship outings. Ranked No9 in the world at the end of the 2023/24 season, Craig is hoping to make his first Olympic Winter Games in 2026 having narrowly missed out on a place at the Beijing Olympics in 2022.

Craig is no stranger to medals on the Europa Cup (EC), Intercontinental Cup (ICC) and North American Cup (NAC) circuits: he won four medals in as many ICC races in 2019/20 as he took silver and bronze in Lake Placid and a brace of bronze medals on his first visit to PyeongChang. Those successes came on the back of him winning the overall ICC silver medal the previous year when he triumphed at the season opener in Igls in November 2018 before securing bronze in Park City and Lake Placid in January 2019.

He won a bronze medal on his international debut in the North American Cup in Placid in March 2016 and finished fifth in the overall EC standings in 2017/18, despite only competing in five of the season's eight races. Craig won three medals in those five starts, taking a gold and bronze in Lillehammer in November 2017 and a second bronze in Igls in January 2018.

He switched to skeleton through the Power2Podium programme at the end of 2014, having previously spent much of his sporting career playing football. A versatile attacking player who started off in centre midfield but became equally comfortable out wide or up front, Craig represented Swindon Town at youth level and played county standard for Wiltshire up until the age of 16.

He also enjoyed athletics, competing for Swindon Harriers in the 100m, 200m and sprint relay from 12-15, before skeleton presented him with the chance to fulfil a lengthy ambition of representing his country on the international stage.

Craig in his own words...

  • Nickname: Tomo
  • Most likely to be spotted: out for a meal
  • Least likely to be found: drinking coffee
  • Me in three: relaxed, passionate, simple
  • Hero: Alan Shearer. He gave 100% in every match, which inspired me to do the same. He is also one of the best role models for upcoming talent to look up to
  • Random fact: I scored on every debut I had for the football teams I played for when I was growing up
  • If I wasn’t a slider: I’d be a fitness instructor or personal trainer. I work part-time as a PT in Woodbury Park and I also have a part-time bar job
  • Favourite track Igls
  • Favourite food Rare steak & home made chips
  • Favourite film Longest Day
  • Favourite music Pretty much anything

Meet the team