George Hodgson facts for kids
Hodgson in 1912
|
|||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | October 12, 1893 Montreal, Quebec |
||||||||||||||||
| Died | May 1, 1983 (aged 89) Montreal, Quebec |
||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle | ||||||||||||||||
| College team | McGill University | ||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||
George Ritchie Hodgson (born October 12, 1893 – died May 1, 1983) was a famous Canadian swimmer from the early 1900s. Many people think he was the greatest swimmer in Canada's history. George Hodgson won two gold medals in freestyle swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. These were the only swimming events he entered. He also competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.
Contents
About George Hodgson
George Hodgson was born in 1893 in Montreal, Quebec. In 1912, he started studying at McGill University. There, he swam and played water polo for the school team. He earned a science degree in 1916.
George Hodgson was honored for his amazing sports career many times. He was put into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1955. Later, in 1968, he joined the International Swimming Hall of Fame. McGill University also added him to their Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. He passed away in Montreal in 1983.
His Sporting Family
George Hodgson wasn't the only athlete in his family! His uncles, Billy and Archie Hodgson, were also well-known athletes. They played ice hockey and lacrosse for the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association in the late 1800s. Interestingly, Archie Hodgson was part of the very first team to win the Stanley Cup in 1893. This was the same year George Hodgson was born.
Olympic Swimming Achievements
George Hodgson was Canada's only Olympic swimming gold medalist until 1984. He didn't compete for a very long time. At the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, he won two gold medals. He finished the 400-meter freestyle race in 5 minutes and 24.4 seconds. For the 1500-meter freestyle, his time was 22 minutes.
He even set a new world record of 22 minutes and 23 seconds in the first round of the 1500-meter race. He was only 18 years old at the time. After these incredible wins, he retired from competitive swimming. Many people believed his success came from his new way of swimming. He used a special stroke called the trudgen. This stroke mixed parts of the front crawl and the sidestroke.
In the 1500-meter Olympic championship, Hodgson broke several records. He set new world and Olympic records for 1000 yards, 1000 meters, and 1 mile. His Olympic record for the 400-meter race lasted until 1924. That's when another famous swimmer, Johnny Weissmuller, broke it. George Hodgson was the only swimmer representing Canada at the 1912 Olympics.
World War I Service
During World War I, George Hodgson served as a pilot. He flew for the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). He started as a Flight Sub-Lieutenant in January 1916. He was stationed in places like Chingford and Felixstowe. There, he flew large flying boats called Felixstowe F2As. He helped with patrols to find submarines.
He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant in June 1917. Later, he flew another large flying boat called Porte Baby 9810. He was based at Lerwick and Houton Seaplane Station. He left the service in January 1919.
Awards and Honors
George Hodgson received several awards for his bravery during the war:
- Sea Gallantry Medal: He earned a Silver Medal for Gallantry in Saving Life at Sea. This was for helping rescue two men from an overturned boat in the North Sea in May 1917.
- Mention in Despatches: He was recognized for his patrol duties in home waters.
- Air Force Cross: This award honored his service as a pilot.
Olympic Records
- 1912 gold: 400-meter freestyle
- 1912 gold: 1500-meter freestyle
He also had the fastest freestyle mile time in the 1911 Festival of Empire Games. These games are now known as the Commonwealth Games.
See also
In Spanish: George Hodgson para niños
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
- World record progression 1500 metres freestyle
