1999 World Championships Team Member, Alternate
1998 Goodwill Games Silver Medalist
1997 World Championships Team Member 

Hometown: Augusta, GA
Birth Date/Place: Sept. 9, 1974/Tacoma, WA
Club: Team Texaco – U.S. Olympic Training Center
Coach: Ron Brant, Vitaly Marinitch
College: University of Iowa
Degree: 1997 – Economics
Former Coaches: Kurt Golder, Tom Dunn, Alex Kolyvanov
Favorite Events: High bar, floor exercise
Hobbies: Computers, Reading, Playing Guitar, Riding Motorcycles
Began Gymnastics: 1982
Years on Sr. National Team: 6 (1994-00)
Years on Jr. National Team: 4 (1990-94)

Personal Info

Thornton is the oldest of four children. Thornton has a wife, Maryanna, and 3 children – Liam, McClure and Beckham. Thornton owns American Gymnast (wwww.american-gymnast.com) and serves as an e-commerce consultant and e-business strategist for several clients.

International Competition

• 2000 Visa American Cup Finals, Orlando, FL, USA
• 2000 Visa American Cup Series, RCA Challenge, Las Vegas, NV, USA; 3rd-AA
• 1999 Chunichi Cup, Nagoya, JPN
• 1999 World Championships, Tianjin, CHN; Alternate, 5th Team
• 1998 China Cup, Tianjin, CHN; 5th-team
• 1998 Goodwill Games, New York, NY; 2nd-FX
• 1998 International Team Championships, Knoxville, TN; 1st-Team, 12th-AA, T4th-FX
• 1998 Visa American Cup, Fort Worth, TX; 7th-AA (prelims), 2nd-FX
• 1997 World Gymnastics Championships, Lausanne, SUI; 5th-Team
• 1997 Pan American Championships, Medellin, COL; 2nd-Team, 4th-AA, 1st-FX, 2nd-PH, 5th-SR
• 1997 International Team Championships (USA, CHN, ROM), Cincinnati, OH; 1st-Team
• 1997 Visa American Cup, Fort Worth, TX; 8th-AA (prelims.), 1st-FX, 3rd-V
• 2000 John Hancock U.S. Gymnastics Championships, St. Louis, MO; T6th-HB, Olympic Trials Qualifier

National Competition

• 2000 Winter Cup Challenge, Las Vegas, NV
• 1999 World Team Trials, Kansas City, MO; 7th – AA
• 1999 John Hancock U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Sacramento, CA; 6th-AA
• 1999 Winter Cup Challenge, Las Vegas, NV
• 1998 John Hancock U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Indianapolis, IN; 3rd-AA, 4th-FX, 3rd-V, 3rd-PH, T3rd-HB
• 1998 Winter Cup Challenge, Houston, TX; 3rd-AA, 2nd-FX, T4th-PH, T5th-V, 5th-PB
• 1997 John Hancock U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Denver, CO; 6th-AA, 3rd-FX
• 1997 Winter Cup Challenge, Battle Creek, MI; T3rd-AA
• 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials-Gymnastics, Boston, MA; 2nd Alternate
• 1996 Coca-Cola National Championships, Knoxville, TN; 1st-FX, 2nd-V
• 1996 NCAA Championships, 2nd-FX & PB, 1st-V