She missed selection on the Australian team for the long jump at the 1996 World Junior Championships, which resulted in her decision to take a break from athletics and concentrate on her studies.

[2] After completing a degree in physiotherapy Thompson returned to athletics in 2000, and later that year represented Australia in the long jump at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, narrowly missing a place in the final.

[citation needed] Thompson carried good form into the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and produced a best jump of 6.96m, but narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth behind a trio of Russian athletes.

A week later, however Thompson suffered a horrific knee injury at a meet in Rieti, Italy, which threatened to end her career.

[citation needed] It took more than a year for her to return to competition, but at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne she was able to once again produce her best form and dominated the long jump to win gold with a leap of 6.97m.