David Hemery
Encyclopedia
David Peter Hemery, CBE
, (born 18 July 1944) is a British
former athlete, winner of the 400m hurdles at the 1968 Summer Olympics
.
He was born in Cirencester
, Gloucestershire
, but his father's work took the family to the United States
, where he attended school and graduated from Boston University
.
Hemery's first International title came at the 1966 Commonwealth Games
, where he won the 120 yd
hurdles in 14.1 seconds, a title he retained four years later at the 1970 Commonwealth Games
(by then it was the 110m hurdles which he won in 13.8 seconds).
At the Mexico
Olympics in 1968, Hemery won the 400m hurdles in 48.12 seconds, a new world record. His margin of victory was the largest since the 1924
, beating second-placed Gerhard Hennige
from West Germany
by almost a second. Hemery's performance helped him win the 1968 BBC Sports Personality of the Year
.
In 1969, Hemery won a silver at the European Championships in the 110m hurdles, but missed the next European Championships in 1971 due to injury. At the 1972 Summer Olympics
, Hemery defended his title, but could only finish third, behind John Akii-Bua
from Uganda
and Ralph Mann
from the United States. He was also a member of the silver medal winning British 4x400m relay
team.
After his running career, Hemery worked as a coach in the United States and Great Britain. In 1969 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
. For a period in the 1970s he taught at the famous English school Millfield
. In 1998, he was elected as the first president of UK Athletics
.
competition, held in 1973, registering a second victory in 1976, and was recognised as Britain's best Superstar from 1973 to 1977.
As a recently retired athlete, Hemery was free to participate in the professional Superstars contests and keep any prize money he won - unlike many other competitors (like Kjell Isaksson
or Andy Ripley
). Noticing the very high standard of competition within a short time of the event starting, Hemery created his own training regime, becoming adept at the gymnasium tests and canoeing and propelling himself into national fame.
After winning the original British title, Hemery then entered the 1974 event though he was struggling with illness. Eventually narrowly beaten by John Conteh
, Hemery then went onto the 1975 European contest where he was beaten again, this time by Ties Kruize
. When Kruize suffered serious injuries in a car crash before the final, Hemery was invited to participate and performed bravely, scoring points in every event. He was soundly beaten by Kjell Isaksson, but could still finish second. The rules for European Superstars allowed athletes to compete in "near specialist" events with a handicap, meaning that both Hemery and Isaksson were allowed to run in the 100m and Steeplechase, but only after giving the other finalists a head start. In the final 600m Steeplechase event Hemery had to make up a 100m handicap on his rivals in order to finish in overall second, and valiantly did so, but only after again falling badly at the water jump. Hitting the ground hard while challenging Isaksson for the lead, Hemery rose with a grimace of pain on his face then sprinted for the line, grabbing third. However as soon as the race was over he collapsed, with the TV cameras showing huge swelling to his injured leg - he had run the last 100m with badly torn ankle ligaments.
In 1976 Hemery won back his British title with a dominating performance. He could not qualify for the European Final this year (beaten by Isaksson again), so he then tried his hand at the American version, qualifying for the final before finishing a disappointing 11th. Because of this sojourn to the USA, Hemery was not eligible to compete in the inaugural 1977 World Final, and he did not compete again in individual Superstars again until the 1981 Challenge of the Champions, where he finished joint fourth with his great hurdling rival John Sherwood
. Winning the 1983 Past Masters event enabled him to compete in the 1984 International Final (where he finished third, though 40 years old!) It was a fitting end to a long career for Britain's first Superstar.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, (born 18 July 1944) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
former athlete, winner of the 400m hurdles at the 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
.
He was born in Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, but his father's work took the family to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he attended school and graduated from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
.
Hemery's first International title came at the 1966 Commonwealth Games
1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
The 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Kingston, Jamaica from 4 August to 13 August 1966. This was the first time that the Games had been held outside the so-called White Dominions....
, where he won the 120 yd
Yard
A yard is a unit of length in several different systems including English units, Imperial units and United States customary units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches...
hurdles in 14.1 seconds, a title he retained four years later at the 1970 Commonwealth Games
1970 British Commonwealth Games
The 1970 British Commonwealth Games were held in Edinburgh, Scotland from 16 July to 25 July 1970.This was the first time the name British Commonwealth Games was adopted, the first time metric units rather than imperial units were used in events, and also the first time the games were held in...
(by then it was the 110m hurdles which he won in 13.8 seconds).
At the Mexico
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
Olympics in 1968, Hemery won the 400m hurdles in 48.12 seconds, a new world record. His margin of victory was the largest since the 1924
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
, beating second-placed Gerhard Hennige
Gerhard Hennige
Gerhard Hennige is a former German track and field athlete and Olympic medal winner, among the world's best at the 400 meter hurdles from 1966 to 1971....
from West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
by almost a second. Hemery's performance helped him win the 1968 BBC Sports Personality of the Year
BBC Sports Personality of the Year
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of one titular award. Several new awards have been introduced, and , eight awards are presented. The oldest of these are the Team of the Year and...
.
In 1969, Hemery won a silver at the European Championships in the 110m hurdles, but missed the next European Championships in 1971 due to injury. At the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
, Hemery defended his title, but could only finish third, behind John Akii-Bua
John Akii-Bua
John Akii-Bua was a Ugandan hurdler and the first Olympic champion from his country.Akii-Bua started his athletic career as a hurdler on the short distance, but coached by British-born athletics coach Malcolm Arnold, he was introduced to the 400 m hurdles...
from Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
and Ralph Mann
Ralph Mann
Ralph Mann was an American athlete who competed mainly in the 400 meter hurdles. He was an undergraduate at Brigham Young University, and later earned a Ph.D. in Biomechanics from the Washington State University...
from the United States. He was also a member of the silver medal winning British 4x400m relay
Relay race
During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...
team.
After his running career, Hemery worked as a coach in the United States and Great Britain. In 1969 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. For a period in the 1970s he taught at the famous English school Millfield
Millfield
Millfield is an independent school in Street in Somerset, in south-west England.The school currently has a roll of 1,260 pupils, of whom 910 are boarders...
. In 1998, he was elected as the first president of UK Athletics
UK Athletics
UK Athletics is the governing body for the sport of athletics in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for overseeing the governance of athletics events in the UK as well as athletes, their development, and athletics officials....
.
Superstars
David Hemery won the first ever British SuperstarsSuperstars
Superstars is an all-around sports competition that pits elite athletes from different sports against one another in a series of athletic events resembling a decathlon....
competition, held in 1973, registering a second victory in 1976, and was recognised as Britain's best Superstar from 1973 to 1977.
As a recently retired athlete, Hemery was free to participate in the professional Superstars contests and keep any prize money he won - unlike many other competitors (like Kjell Isaksson
Kjell Isaksson
Kjell Gunnar Isaksson is a retired pole vaulter from Sweden, who broke the world record several times in 1972. Initially he broke the record set by Christos Papanikolaou of Greece and San Jose State University two years earlier, by jumping 5.51 metres in Austin, Texas--the second man to clear 18...
or Andy Ripley
Andy Ripley
Andrew George Ripley, OBE was an English rugby union international, who represented England from 1972 to 1976, and the British Lions on their unbeaten 1974 tour of South Africa.-Early life:...
). Noticing the very high standard of competition within a short time of the event starting, Hemery created his own training regime, becoming adept at the gymnasium tests and canoeing and propelling himself into national fame.
After winning the original British title, Hemery then entered the 1974 event though he was struggling with illness. Eventually narrowly beaten by John Conteh
John Conteh
John Conteh is a British former boxer who was world light-heavyweight boxing champion.Conteh is one of Britain's most successful boxing champions. At his peak in the mid to late 1970s he was considered good enough that he was touted as a possible opponent of Muhammad Ali...
, Hemery then went onto the 1975 European contest where he was beaten again, this time by Ties Kruize
Ties Kruize
Ties Kruize is a former field hockey player from the Netherlands, who represented Holland at the Summer Olympics of 1972, 1976, and 1984...
. When Kruize suffered serious injuries in a car crash before the final, Hemery was invited to participate and performed bravely, scoring points in every event. He was soundly beaten by Kjell Isaksson, but could still finish second. The rules for European Superstars allowed athletes to compete in "near specialist" events with a handicap, meaning that both Hemery and Isaksson were allowed to run in the 100m and Steeplechase, but only after giving the other finalists a head start. In the final 600m Steeplechase event Hemery had to make up a 100m handicap on his rivals in order to finish in overall second, and valiantly did so, but only after again falling badly at the water jump. Hitting the ground hard while challenging Isaksson for the lead, Hemery rose with a grimace of pain on his face then sprinted for the line, grabbing third. However as soon as the race was over he collapsed, with the TV cameras showing huge swelling to his injured leg - he had run the last 100m with badly torn ankle ligaments.
In 1976 Hemery won back his British title with a dominating performance. He could not qualify for the European Final this year (beaten by Isaksson again), so he then tried his hand at the American version, qualifying for the final before finishing a disappointing 11th. Because of this sojourn to the USA, Hemery was not eligible to compete in the inaugural 1977 World Final, and he did not compete again in individual Superstars again until the 1981 Challenge of the Champions, where he finished joint fourth with his great hurdling rival John Sherwood
John Sherwood (athlete)
John Sherwood is a British athlete, who won the bronze medal in the Olympic Games in Mexico City in 1968 for the 400 m hurdles. His time was 49.03 seconds, and he was third behind fellow British athlete David Hemery, who took gold, and German Gerhard Hennige...
. Winning the 1983 Past Masters event enabled him to compete in the 1984 International Final (where he finished third, though 40 years old!) It was a fitting end to a long career for Britain's first Superstar.
Superstars Record
| Year | Event | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | British Final | 1st |
| 1974 | British Final | 2nd |
| 1975 | UK Heat | 2nd |
| 1975 | European Final | 2nd |
| 1976 | British Final | 1st |
| 1976 | US Heat 1 | 3rd |
| 1976 | US Final | 11th |
| 1976 | Swedish Heat | 3rd |
| 1981 | Challenge of the Champions | 4th |
| 1983 | UK Past Masters | 1st |
| 1984 | International | 3rd |