Hugh Porter
Encyclopedia
Hugh Porter MBE
(born Wolverhampton
, England, 27 January 1940) is one of Britain
's greatest former professional cyclists, winning four world titles in the individual pursuit
as well as a Commonwealth Games
gold medal in 1966. He is now a commentator
on cycle events, notably for the BBC
.
and educated at the city's St Peter's Collegiate School. His father, Joe, was a cyclist and at 10, Hugh was taken to the Halesowen
velodrome
to watch British sprint
world champion Reg Harris
.
He is married to British Olympic swimming gold medallist, Anita Lonsbrough; they met travelling to Tokyo for the 1964 Summer Olympics
and married in 1965.
, finishing third in his first road race. He also became a regular competitor in weekly track league meetings at Wolverhampton’s Aldersley Stadium cycle track.
squad at the national track championships at the Fallowfield Stadium
, Manchester
. He also won the Midlands title in the individual pursuit, but he remained focused on developing as a road racer.
The early 1960s saw him represent Great Britain in the Tour of Czechoslovakia
in 1961 (26th overall) and in the Tour of Ireland
. He also finished second that year in the season-long Star Trophy points competition assessed by results in set races through a season, and 17th in his first ride in the Tour of Britain
. A year later he was 20th in the same event, and earned selection for the 1962 world championships in Italy
to ride both the road race and team time trial
events. However, over-exertion in the time trial led to a poor performance in the road race.
championship in Gloucestershire
, finishing second. The individual pursuit championship was decided at Fallowfield Stadium; Porter was fastest qualifier and, although headed in the early stages of the final, soon eased into the lead to beat Harry Jackson and land his first individual national title. Porter then travelled to the Rocourt velodrome, near Liège in Belgium
, for the 1963 world championship, where he reached the semi-final, to be pipped by 0.18 seconds by Belgian Jean Walschaerts for a place in the final. Nonetheless, he won the third-place ride-off to take a bronze medal.
in Tokyo
where Porter was already selected to ride the pursuit, though he still defended his British championship, emerging victorious at Herne Hill
and shaving almost a second off the championship record. He also tested himself in the national 10-mile time-trial championship, finishing second, and was a member of the Wolverhampton Wheelers squad which won the national team pursuit title. However, while Porter qualified fifth fastest in Tokyo, he was suffering from a cold and was eliminated at the quarter-final stage, and went home medal-less – but he had, at least, met his future wife, fellow Olympian and swimmer Anita Lonsbrough whom he married in Huddersfield
on 17 June 1965.
While Porter retained his British individual pursuit title and won several road races, 1965 was otherwise not memorable. He was defeated in the quarter-finals of the world pursuit championship in Spain (a timetable change meant he almost missed the contest, and, without his normal pre-race routine, he was narrowly defeated by Colombian Martin Rodriguez in the fastest race of the event).
meeting at Herne Hill
. He then rode the Tour of Britain, winning one stage, finishing second on three other stages, taking ninth place overall and second place in the points classification. His road victories assured him of victory in the season-long Star Trophy
series. Without any further track races, he travelled to Jamaica
for the 1966 Commonwealth Games, where he set a games record in qualifying for the semi-final of the individual pursuit, and then beat Australia
n Jan Bylsma in the final to take the gold medal.
. Porter qualified for the final, but, unsettled by a puncture to his opponent, Timeon Groen, that forced a re-run, he was beaten by two seconds. Nonetheless, his silver medal led to contracts from track promoters, including an invitation to ride the London six-day race
– his first. He crashed on the fourth day, breaking his collar bone, and missed contracts for other six-day races. However, he recovered and spent much of the winter track-racing in Belgium, finishing the Antwerp six-day before returning to England for the start of the 1968 road season.
, plus two stage wins and sixth overall in the Tour of the West. He was then selected for the British team to ride the Tour de France
. Having retained his British pursuit title, he was expected to do well in the prologue time trial – and finished seventh of 120 starters. However, an injury returned and he abandoned on the third stage – a retirement that allowed him to concentrate on the world championship in Rome
in late August.
He was the fastest qualifier, and recorded his fastest time of the championship in the quarter final, beating Siegfried Adler, then holder of the world professional indoor Hour record
. In the final, Porter faced Ole Ritter
, later holder of the outdoor hour record, of Denmark
and beat him by eight seconds to win his first world title, an achievement that merited the Bidlake Memorial Prize
for 1968.
Porter continued to race on the road in summer and in winter six-day races. He even won cyclo-cross
events.
, voicing the Olympic and Commonwealth Games (track and road), World Championships (track and road) and World Cup track meetings.
He commentated on the 2009 Tour of Britain
for ITV4
, while also public-address commentator. Porter kept referring to the 'stage announcer', which was himself. Porter is a regular at Manchester
and Newport velodromes
. He is the voice of the Revolution series at Manchester.
He is often assisted by his wife Anita Lonsbrough who sits alongside him off-microphone and helps him with his notes.
He has also worked on the Winter Olympics for the BBC
, where he commentated on the speed skating
events.
In recent years, Hugh has joined forces with British Swimming and is now "the voice or British Swimming", commentating at all the major events throughout the year. The next major event is in Manchester from 5–12 March 2011 at the British Swimming Championships at the Manchester Aquatics Centre.
awarded him his own page in the Golden Book of Cycling
.
and was made an MBE
for services to cycle racing.
In 2009, Porter was inducted into the British Cycling Hall of Fame
.
Porter was made Freeman of the City of Wolverhampton in 2009 and there is a road named after him in Aldersley, Wolverhampton ("Hugh Porter Way" which leads to Aldersley Leisure Village, where Porter's old club, Wolverhampton Wheelers CC, is based and uses the velodrome).
Porter is honorary patron of Halesowen Athletic and Cycling Club.
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 Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, England, 27 January 1940) is one of Britain
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...
's greatest former professional cyclists, winning four world titles in the individual pursuit
Individual pursuit
The individual pursuit is a track cycling event where two cyclists begin the race from a stationary position on opposite sides of the track.The event is held over 4 km for men and 3 km for women. The two riders start at the same time and set off to complete the race distance in the...
as well as a Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
gold medal in 1966. He is now a commentator
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
on cycle events, notably for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
Personal life
Porter was born and raised in WolverhamptonWolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
and educated at the city's St Peter's Collegiate School. His father, Joe, was a cyclist and at 10, Hugh was taken to the Halesowen
Halesowen
Halesowen is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands, England.The population, as measured by the United Kingdom Census 2001, was 55,273...
velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
to watch British sprint
Sprint (cycling)
The sprint or match sprint is a track cycling event involving between 2 and 4 riders, though they are usually run as a one-on-one match race between opponents who, unlike in the individual pursuit, start next to each other.- Racing style :...
world champion Reg Harris
Reg Harris
Reginald - 'Reg' - Hargreaves Harris OBE was a leading English track racing cyclist in the 1940s and 1950s. He won the world amateur sprint title in 1947, two Olympic silver medals in 1948, and the professional title in 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1954...
.
He is married to British Olympic swimming gold medallist, Anita Lonsbrough; they met travelling to Tokyo for the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
and married in 1965.
Junior career
Aged 16, Porter began racing as a junior for Wolverhampton Wheelers cycling clubCycling club
A cycling club is a society for cyclists. It can be local or national, general or specialised. The Cyclists' Touring Club, CTC) in the United Kingdom is a national association; i-Team and are internet clubs; the Tricycle Association, Tandem Club and the Veterans Time Trial Association, for those...
, finishing third in his first road race. He also became a regular competitor in weekly track league meetings at Wolverhampton’s Aldersley Stadium cycle track.
Senior competition
As a senior, he won his first race in July 1958 and by the end of the season another victory and other high placings led to a first-category licence for the 1959 season. First was the highest of three classes dependent on racing successes. Six victories came that season on the road, along with a gold medal on the track as part of his club's team pursuitTeam pursuit
The team pursuit is a track cycling event similar to the individual pursuit, except that two teams, each of up to four riders, compete, start on opposite sides of the velodrome.- Race format :...
squad at the national track championships at the Fallowfield Stadium
Fallowfield Stadium
Fallowfield Stadium was an athletics stadium and velodrome in Fallowfield, Manchester, England. It opened in May 1892 as the home of Manchester Athletics Club after it was forced to move from its home next to Old Trafford Cricket Ground...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. He also won the Midlands title in the individual pursuit, but he remained focused on developing as a road racer.
The early 1960s saw him represent Great Britain in the Tour of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
in 1961 (26th overall) and in the Tour of Ireland
Tour of Ireland
The Tour of Ireland is a bicycle stage race held in August. The first race debuted in 1953 and ran until 1957. It was revived in 1965 and ran until 1985. In 1985 the 5 day Nissan International Classic took over as the Tour of Ireland. This lasted for 8 years until 1992...
. He also finished second that year in the season-long Star Trophy points competition assessed by results in set races through a season, and 17th in his first ride in the Tour of Britain
Tour of Britain
The Tour of Britain is a cycle race, conducted over several stages, in which participants race from place to place across parts of Great Britain....
. A year later he was 20th in the same event, and earned selection for the 1962 world championships in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to ride both the road race and team time trial
Team time trial
A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart...
events. However, over-exertion in the time trial led to a poor performance in the road race.
First national track title
Porter still dabbled in track racing and in 1963 put in an encouraging showing in the individual pursuit at Aldersley Stadium's Easter international meeting, before winning the final 10-mile scratch race. Encouraged, Porter began to consider contesting the national individual pursuit championship. In the meantime, he also raced in the national 25-mile individual time trialIndividual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
championship in 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....
, finishing second. The individual pursuit championship was decided at Fallowfield Stadium; Porter was fastest qualifier and, although headed in the early stages of the final, soon eased into the lead to beat Harry Jackson and land his first individual national title. Porter then travelled to the Rocourt velodrome, near Liège in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, for the 1963 world championship, where he reached the semi-final, to be pipped by 0.18 seconds by Belgian Jean Walschaerts for a place in the final. Nonetheless, he won the third-place ride-off to take a bronze medal.
Olympic disappointment
1964 was dominated by thoughts of the Olympic GamesOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
where Porter was already selected to ride the pursuit, though he still defended his British championship, emerging victorious at Herne Hill
Herne Hill
Herne Hill is located in the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Southwark in Greater London. There is a road of the same name which continues the A215 north of Norwood Road and was called Herne Hill Road.-History:...
and shaving almost a second off the championship record. He also tested himself in the national 10-mile time-trial championship, finishing second, and was a member of the Wolverhampton Wheelers squad which won the national team pursuit title. However, while Porter qualified fifth fastest in Tokyo, he was suffering from a cold and was eliminated at the quarter-final stage, and went home medal-less – but he had, at least, met his future wife, fellow Olympian and swimmer Anita Lonsbrough whom he married in Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
on 17 June 1965.
While Porter retained his British individual pursuit title and won several road races, 1965 was otherwise not memorable. He was defeated in the quarter-finals of the world pursuit championship in Spain (a timetable change meant he almost missed the contest, and, without his normal pre-race routine, he was narrowly defeated by Colombian Martin Rodriguez in the fastest race of the event).
Commonwealth champion
However, 1966 proved more successful. Porter began with 12 successive road race victories, and won a pursuit match in the Good FridayGood Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
meeting at Herne Hill
Herne Hill
Herne Hill is located in the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Southwark in Greater London. There is a road of the same name which continues the A215 north of Norwood Road and was called Herne Hill Road.-History:...
. He then rode the Tour of Britain, winning one stage, finishing second on three other stages, taking ninth place overall and second place in the points classification. His road victories assured him of victory in the season-long Star Trophy
Premier Calendar
The British Cycling Premier Calendar Road Race Series is a season-long competition run by British Cycling. It comprises a series of road bicycle races for the country's top domestic road riders.-Organisation and events:...
series. Without any further track races, he travelled to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
for the 1966 Commonwealth Games, where he set a games record in qualifying for the semi-final of the individual pursuit, and then beat Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Jan Bylsma in the final to take the gold medal.
First professional steps
In early 1967 Porter turned professional, riding for the Condor Mackeson team. The step up to the professional ranks meant that in the individual pursuit he was now racing 5,000m instead of 4,000m, but in his first test at the distance, he emerged victorious, beating Dave Bonner to win the professional title in Leicester. Porter was then selected to race in the world professional pursuit event in AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. Porter qualified for the final, but, unsettled by a puncture to his opponent, Timeon Groen, that forced a re-run, he was beaten by two seconds. Nonetheless, his silver medal led to contracts from track promoters, including an invitation to ride the London six-day race
Six-day racing
A six or six-day is a track cycling race that lasts six days. Six-day races started in Britain, spread to many regions of the world, were brought to their modern style in the United States and are now mainly a European event. Initially, individuals competed alone, the winner being the individual...
– his first. He crashed on the fourth day, breaking his collar bone, and missed contracts for other six-day races. However, he recovered and spent much of the winter track-racing in Belgium, finishing the Antwerp six-day before returning to England for the start of the 1968 road season.
Professional success
Porter began 1968 with a time-trial stage victory and second place overall in a three-day race in BournemouthBournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, plus two stage wins and sixth overall in the Tour of the West. He was then selected for the British team to ride the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
. Having retained his British pursuit title, he was expected to do well in the prologue time trial – and finished seventh of 120 starters. However, an injury returned and he abandoned on the third stage – a retirement that allowed him to concentrate on the world championship in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in late August.
He was the fastest qualifier, and recorded his fastest time of the championship in the quarter final, beating Siegfried Adler, then holder of the world professional indoor Hour record
Hour record
The hour record for bicycles is the record for the longest distance cycled in one hour on a bicycle. There are several records. The most famous is for upright bicycles meeting the requirements of the Union Cycliste Internationale . It is one of the most prestigious in cycling...
. In the final, Porter faced Ole Ritter
Ole Ritter
Ole Ritter is a former Danish racing cyclist.-Amateur years:As an amateur he rode for ABC Denmark....
, later holder of the outdoor hour record, of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and beat him by eight seconds to win his first world title, an achievement that merited the Bidlake Memorial Prize
Frederick Thomas Bidlake
Frederick Thomas Bidlake was an English racing cyclist of the late 19th century who became one of the most notable administrators of British road bicycle racing during the early 20th century. The annual Bidlake Memorial Prize, was instituted in his memory...
for 1968.
Professional pursuit domination
From 1967 until his retirement from professional racing in 1973, Porter was world professional champion in the 5,000m individual pursuit four times, second place on two occasions and taking bronze on the other. The sequence ran:- 1967 - AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
- silver - 1968 – RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
– gold - 1969 – Antwerp – silver
- 1970 – LeicesterLeicesterLeicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
– gold - 1971 – VareseVareseVarese is a town and comune in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 55 km north of Milan.It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or urban part of the city is called Varesotto.- Geography :...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- bronze - 1972 – MarseilleMarseilleMarseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
- gold - 1973 – San SebastiánSan SebastiánDonostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
- gold
Porter continued to race on the road in summer and in winter six-day races. He even won cyclo-cross
Cyclo-cross
Cyclo-cross is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter , and consists of many laps of a short course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and...
events.
Commentary work
Porter is a TV commentator and public-address commentator at events. He is the voice of cycling for BBC SportBBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
, voicing the Olympic and Commonwealth Games (track and road), World Championships (track and road) and World Cup track meetings.
He commentated on the 2009 Tour of Britain
2009 Tour of Britain
The 2009 Tour of Britain was a UCI 2.1 category race of eight stages from 12 September till 19 September 2009. The race was the sixth edition of the latest version of the Tour of Britain and the seventieth British tour in total. It formed part of the 2008–2009 UCI Europe Tour...
for ITV4
ITV4
ITV4 is a British television station which was launched on 1 November 2005. It is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc, and is part of the ITV network. The channel has a male-oriented line-up, including sport, cop shows and US comedies and dramas, as well as classic ITV action...
, while also public-address commentator. Porter kept referring to the 'stage announcer', which was himself. Porter is a regular at Manchester
Manchester Velodrome
Manchester Velodrome is an indoor cycle-racing track or velodrome in Manchester, northwest England. It opened in September 1994 and is the leading indoor Olympic-standard track in the United Kingdom. It houses the National Cycling Centre and British Cycling...
and Newport velodromes
Newport Velodrome
The Wales National Velodrome in Newport, South Wales, is an indoor arena located in the Newport International Sports Village, Liswerry. The Velodrome's facilities including a covered 250-metre Siberian pine track, a function room/dance studio, free weights room, fitness suite, a drug-testing room...
. He is the voice of the Revolution series at Manchester.
He is often assisted by his wife Anita Lonsbrough who sits alongside him off-microphone and helps him with his notes.
He has also worked on the Winter Olympics for the BBC
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
, where he commentated on the speed skating
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
events.
In recent years, Hugh has joined forces with British Swimming and is now "the voice or British Swimming", commentating at all the major events throughout the year. The next major event is in Manchester from 5–12 March 2011 at the British Swimming Championships at the Manchester Aquatics Centre.
The Golden Book
Porter's achievements were celebrated in 1972 when Cycling WeeklyCycling Weekly
Cycling Weekly is a British cycling magazine. It is published by IPC Media and is devoted to the sport and past-time of cycling. It is affectionately referred to by British club cyclists as "The Comic".-History:...
awarded him his own page in the Golden Book of Cycling
Golden Book of Cycling
The Golden Book of Cycling was created in 1932 by Cycling, a British cycling magazine,to celebrate "the Sport and Pastime of Cycling by recording the outstanding rides, deeds and accomplishments of cyclists, officials and administrators." There exists only a single copy of this compendium of...
.
Order of the British Empire
In March 1973, Porter travelled to Buckingham PalaceBuckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
and was made an MBE
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 services to cycle racing.
Other honours
Porter was presented with an award for Outstanding Contribution to Cycling at the World Track Championships in Manchester in March 2008.In 2009, Porter was inducted into the British Cycling Hall of Fame
British Cycling Hall of Fame
The British Cycling Hall of Fame was established in 2009 as part of British Cycling's 50th anniversary celebrations.On 17 December 2009, the names of fifty riders to be inducted into the British Cycling Hall of Fame were announced...
.
Porter was made Freeman of the City of Wolverhampton in 2009 and there is a road named after him in Aldersley, Wolverhampton ("Hugh Porter Way" which leads to Aldersley Leisure Village, where Porter's old club, Wolverhampton Wheelers CC, is based and uses the velodrome).
Porter is honorary patron of Halesowen Athletic and Cycling Club.
Sources
- Porter, H. (1973) Champion on Two Wheels (London: Robert Hale & Co, ISBN 0-7091-5091-1)