Percy Hodge (26 December 1890 – 27 December 1967) was a British athlete, winner of the 3000 m steeplechase at the 1920 Summer Olympics.[1]

Career

Hodge was born in Guernsey, but then moved to Weymouth and Bournemouth, finally settling in Bexhill-on-Sea. He became the National 2 miles steeplechase champion after winning the AAA Championships title at the 1919 AAA Championships.[2][3]

The following year in 1920, he retained his AAA title[4] despite his shoe fallling off in the second lap causing him to stop and lose some 100 yards, yet he won the race by a margin of 75 yards. He also finished ninth at the International Cross Country Championships and helped his team to win a first place in 1920.[5] Shortly after he was selected for the Olympic Games. The 1920 Summer Olympics were the first to include a (now common) 3000 m steeplechase. This was run on a grass course, unlike later competitions. Percy Hodge was the favourite, easily winning his heat and outrunning the rest of the field. He won the final in a time of 10:00.4, some 100 m ahead of second-placed Patrick Flynn from the United States. Hodge also ran in the heats of the 3000 m team event, in which Great Britain won a silver medal.[5]

Hodge retained his AAA title again in 1921[6][7] and 1923.[8]

Hodge training in hurdles

References

  1. ^ "Percy Hodge". Olympedia. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  2. ^ "AAA Championships". Daily Herald. 7 July 1919. Retrieved 21 November 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Amateur Champions". Daily Record. 7 July 1919. Retrieved 21 November 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "The Athletic Championships". Weekly Dispatch (London). 4 July 1920. Retrieved 23 November 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ a b Percy Hodge. sports-reference.com
  6. ^ "Athletics". Northern Whig. 2 July 1921. Retrieved 30 November 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Where Britain leads". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 4 July 1921. Retrieved 30 November 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists". National Union of Track Statisticians. Retrieved 21 November 2024.


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