Matthew Hudson-Smith

Matthew Hudson-Smith (born 26 October 1994) is a British track and field sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres. He holds a personal best of 44.48 seconds for the distance set during the semifinals at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where he qualified for the final and finished in 8th place with a time of 44.61.

Matthew Hudson-Smith
Hudson-Smith and Martyn Rooney in 2014
Personal information
Born (1994-10-26) 26 October 1994
Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom
Height1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight78 kg (172 lb)
Sport
Country Great Britain
SportTrack and field
Event(s)400 metres
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Great Britain
World Championships
2017 London4×400 m relay
European Championships
2014 Zürich4 x 400 m relay
2018 Berlin400 m
2014 Zürich400 m
2018 Berlin4 x 400 m relay
2016 Amsterdam4 x 400 m relay
Representing  England
Commonwealth Games
2014 Glasgow4×400 m relay

Hudson-Smith was a gold medallist in the 4×400 metres relay at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and a gold medallist in the 400 metres at the 2018 European Athletics Championships in Berlin, Germany. He was also a double bronze medallist at the 2013 European Athletics Junior Championships.

Career

Born in Wolverhampton,[1] he joined his local athletics club, Birchfield Harriers, in 2006. He competed in a variety of events before focusing more on the sprints from 2008 onwards. In 2010 and 2011 he mainly concentrated as a 200 metres runner. He was runner-up at the English Schools Championships over that distance in both 2011 and 2012 before finally winning the title in 2013 at the age of eighteen, after returning from a series of hamstring injuries and illness.[2] During 2012 to 2013 he studied on the AASE Apprenticeship at Loughborough College and is now a Physical Education and Sports Coaching student at the University of Worcester, allowing him to continue his education at the same time as training and competing.

That year also saw his international debut for Great Britain: he performed well at the 2013 European Athletics Junior Championships, setting a 200 m best of 20.88 seconds in the semi-finals before getting the bronze medal in a British medal sweep, behind Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and Leon Reid.[2] He won a second bronze as part of the British 4×400 metres relay team, running the second leg.[3]

In the 2014 season he returned to competing in the 400 m, working under his coach Tony Hadley. Coming from a personal best of 48.76 seconds at the start of the year, his new focus on the event greatly improved his times. He ran of 46.29 seconds at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Florida in April, then set a best of 45.80 seconds in Belgium in May.[2] He ran a quick race at the British Athletics Championships, but was disqualified for a lane infringement.[4]

His following race at the Glasgow Grand Prix marked a career breakthrough as he finished in the top three at the Diamond League race in a time of 44.97 seconds. This made him only the second British teenager to dip under 45 seconds for the distance and placed him second on the European rankings for the season.[5] Hudson-Smith surprised himself with the level of improvement, saying "I've no idea where that came from, no idea at all".[6] He was chosen to represent England at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the 4×400 m relay alongside Conrad Williams, Michael Bingham, and Daniel Awde. On his return to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games he ran the fastest split on the final leg to overhaul Trinidad and Tobago's Zwede Hewitt and hold off Olympic champion Chris Brown, winning the gold medal for the team.[7]

At the 2014 European Athletics Championships in Zürich, Switzerland, Hudson-Smith won the silver medal in the individual 400 m in a time of 44.75 seconds, behind compatriot Martyn Rooney. This is despite receiving a yellow card (warning) from the officials for not being stable in the set position.[8]

Personal bests

International competition record
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
2013 European Junior Championships Rieti, Italy 3rd 200 m 20.94
3rd 4×400 m relay 3:05.14
2014 Commonwealth Games Glasgow, United Kingdom 1st 4×400 m relay 3:00.46
European Championships Zürich, Switzerland 2nd 400 m 44.75
1st 4×400 m relay 2:58.79
2016 European Championships Amsterdam, The Netherlands 3rd 4×400 m relay 3:01.44
Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 8th 400 m 44.61
2017 World Championships London, United Kingdom 9th (sf) 400 m 44.74
3rd 4×400 m relay 2.59.00
2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia – 400 m DQ
– 4 × 400 m relay DNF
European Championships Berlin, Germany 1st 400 m 44.78
2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:00.36
2019 World Championships Doha, Qatar – 400 m DNF

References
  1. Matthew Hudson-Smith. Glasgow2014. Retrieved on 2014-08-03.
  2. Matthew Hudson-Smith. Power of 10. Retrieved on 2014-08-03.
  3. "Rieti ITA 18 - 21 July 2013". european-athletics-statistics.org. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  4. EDEN FRANCIS LEADS THE WAY AT THE BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP Archived 8 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Birchfield Harries (June 2014). Retrieved on 2014-08-03.
  5. Dick, Brian (2014-07-25). Birchfield Harriers starlet Matthew Hudson-Smith given senior Great Britain debut at European Championships in Zurich . Birmingham Mail. Retrieved on 2014-08-03.
  6. Athletics - Williams: Glasgow dash proves I am among the sprinting elite Archived 12 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Eurosport (2014-07-12). Retrieved on 2014-08-03.
  7. Relay great final night at Glasgow 2014. Athletics Weekly (2014-08-02). Retrieved on 2014-08-03.
  8. Martyn Rooney edges Matthew Hudson-Smith to take 400m gold. The Guardian (2014-08-15). Retrieved on 2014-08-15.
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