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Matthew Hudson-Smith

Matthew Hudson-Smith (born 26 October 1994) is a British track and field sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres and is the 5th fastest athlete of all-time over the distance.[2] As of September 2024 he is ranked as the number one 400m runner in the world[3] and has won six British titles (five in the 400m and one in the 200m), five Diamond League events, two individual European titles, an individual Olympic silver medal, World Championships silver and bronze individual medals and an individual Commonwealth silver medal.[4] He has also won a number of relay titles including an Olympic bronze medal, World Championships bronze medal, two European gold medals, one European silver medal, one European bronze medal and a Commonwealth Games gold medal.[4] Hudson-Smith also holds the European and British 4x400m records (2:55.83) along with the GB Team who ran in the final of the men's 4x400m event in the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Matthew Hudson-Smith
Hudson-Smith in 2023
Personal information
Born (1994-10-26) 26 October 1994 (age 30)
Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom
Height1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Sport
Country Great Britain
SportTrack and field
Event400 metres
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2024 Paris 400 m
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris 4 x 400m relay
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2023 Budapest 400 m
Bronze medal – third place 2017 London 4 × 400 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Eugene 400 m
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Zürich 4 x 400 m relay
Gold medal – first place 2018 Berlin 400 m
Gold medal – first place 2022 Munich 400 m
Gold medal – first place 2022 Munich 4 x 400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2014 Zürich 400 m
Silver medal – second place 2018 Berlin 4 x 400 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Amsterdam 4 x 400 m relay
Representing  England
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2014 Glasgow 4 × 400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2022 Birmingham 400 m

He holds, as of September 2024 the British and European record, running a personal best of 43.44 seconds for the distance at the 2024 Summer Olympics. He currently holds the top 5 fastest times ever run by a European Athlete in the 400m and is widely considered to be the greatest British and European 400m runner in history.[5]

As of 2022, Hudson-Smith is the most decorated British male athlete in European Championships history, with seven medals, second overall only to French sprinter Christophe Lemaitre.

Career

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Born in Wolverhampton,[6] he joined a nearby 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.[7] 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.[7] He won a second bronze as part of the British 4×400 metres relay team, running the second leg.[8]

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.[7] He ran a quick race at the British Athletics Championships, but was disqualified for a lane infringement.[9]

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.[10] Hudson-Smith surprised himself with the level of improvement, saying "I've no idea where that came from, no idea at all".[11] 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.[12]

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.[13]

In 2016, Hudson-Smith was selected for the Rio Olympics in the 400m and the 4x400m. In the 400m, he qualified for the final with a pb of 44.48,[14] and finished 8th in the final with a time of 44.61. He ran in the heats of the 4x400m relay, but his team were disqualified as Hudson-Smith was judged to have been outside the takeover zone when he started running to receive the baton from Delano Williams.

At the 2017 World Championships, Hudson-Smith made it to the semi-finals of the 400m, however, did not qualify to the final as he finished fourth in his semi-final.[15] He won bronze as part of the men's 4x400m relay, with his teammates Dwayne Cowan, Rabah Yousif and Martyn Rooney[16]

Prior to the 2018 season, he moved to Florida and started working with Coach Lance Brauman and the PureAthletics camp which also featured the likes of Noah Lyles and Shaunae Miller-Uibo. He won gold at the 2018 European Championships in the men's 400m, winning the final with a time of 44.78, also winning silver in the men's 4x400m relay.[4]

Hudson-Smith was not able to compete at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics. However, in the 2022 season Hudson-Smith switched coaching groups to partner with Gary Evans and returned to his best form breaking the British national record at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene clocking 44.35 seconds and being signed by Puma. He went on to win bronze at the 2022 World Championships later in the year, his first individual medal at the World Championships and becoming only the second British 400m runner to medal in the men's event.[17] He won gold at the 2022 European Championships in both the men's 400m and men's 4x400m relay.[4] and a silver medal in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games which took place on the track Hudson-Smith had trained on in his youth at Alexander Stadium. Also in 2022, he won the 400m at the British Athletics Championships by 1.26 seconds which was the largest winning margin in the men's 400 metres at those championships for over thirty years.

In 2023, he won the silver medal in the men's 400m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, again breaking the European record in the semi-finals with a time of 44.26.[18]

Hudson-Smith opened his 2024 season with a 200m personal best of 20.39 in Florida, he was part of the British team for the 2024 World Athletics Relays, finishing sixth in the men's 4x400m final. He broke his own European record at the Bislett Games in Oslo clocking a time of 44.07.[19] He set a new personal best of 20.34 seconds in winning his first national 200 metres title at the 2024 British Athletics Championships on 30 June.[20]

Hudson-Smith lowered his European 400m record again at the Diamond League meeting in London on 20 July 2024, winning the race in a time of 43.74, improving Steven Gardiner's seven‑year‑old track record by 0.15 seconds with the fastest 400m time ever seen on British soil.[21][22]

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Hudson-Smith won the silver medal in the 400m event with a time of 43.44 seconds, finishing behind gold medalist Quincy Hall, who won the race in 43.40 seconds. Hall came from behind in the final 15 meters to overtake Hudson-Smith, who had been leading most of the way.[23] Hudson-Smith's sprint is the sixth-fastest all-time, making him the fifth-fastest person in the 400m event in history, across all competitions. This marked the first time that an athlete was not able to secure the gold medal with a time under 43.75 seconds in the Olympics.[24] Although fatigued following his success in the individual event, Hudson-Smith led his team through the 4x400m heats to a place in the final and to a bronze medal, producing a split of 43.09 in the final which as of September 2024 is the fourth fastest 4x400m relay split in history.

Following the Paris Olympics, Hudson-Smith stated his desire to win a global individual gold medal and to continue for another four years until the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.[25]

Personal bests

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  • 400 metres – 43.44 sec (2024) – joint sixth fastest time in history.[24] The only men to run faster were all world record holders and/or Olympic champions, although Butch Reynolds was not Olympic 400m champion, his gold was in the relays.
  • 200 metres – 20.34 sec (2024)
  • 60 metres – 6.96 sec (2012)

National titles

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International competition record

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Representing   Great Britain unless otherwise stated.

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2013 European Junior Championships Rieti, Italy 3rd 200 m 20.94
3rd 4×400 m relay 3:05.14
2014 Commonwealth Games
representing   England 		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, 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
representing   England 		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
2022 World Championships Eugene, Oregon 3rd 400 m 44.66
Commonwealth Games
representing   England 		Birmingham, England 2nd 400 m 44.81
European Championships Munich, Germany 1st 400 m 44.53
1st 4 × 400 m relay 2:59.35
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 2nd 400 m 44.31
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France 2nd 400 m 43.44
3rd 4 x 400 m relay 2:55.83

Track records

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As of 16 September 2024, Hudson-Smith holds the following track records for 400 metres.

Location Time Date Notes
Clermont, FL. 44.70 12/05/2018
London 43.74 20/07/2024 This was the first time a European had
broken 44 seconds for 400 metres.

Personal life

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Hudson-Smith married Antonia Tyson at a ceremony in Birmingham, England, on 29 September 2024, with guests at the event including Dina Asher-Smith and Noah Lyles.[26][27] He subsequently moved to live in the USA.[28]

References

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  1. ^ "HUDSON-SMITH Matthew". Paris 2024 Olympics. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  2. ^ "400 Metres - men - senior - all". worldathletics.org.
  3. ^ "World Rankings | Men's 400m (300m-500m)". worldathletics.org.
  4. ^ a b c d "Matthew HUDSON-SMITH | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org.
  5. ^ "Top Lists - All Time". European Athletics. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  6. ^ Matthew Hudson-Smith. Glasgow2014. Retrieved on 2014-08-03.
  7. ^ a b c Matthew Hudson-Smith. Power of 10. Retrieved on 2014-08-03.
  8. ^ "Rieti ITA 18 - 21 July 2013". european-athletics-statistics.org. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  9. ^ EDEN FRANCIS LEADS THE WAY AT THE BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP Archived 8 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Birchfield Harries (June 2014). Retrieved on 3 August 2014.
  10. ^ Dick, Brian (25 July 2014). Birchfield Harriers starlet Matthew Hudson-Smith given senior Great Britain debut at European Championships in Zurich . Birmingham Mail. Retrieved on 3 August 2014.
  11. ^ Athletics - Williams: Glasgow dash proves I am among the sprinting elite Archived 12 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Eurosport (12 July 2014). Retrieved on 3 August 2014.
  12. ^ Relay great final night at Glasgow 2014. Athletics Weekly (2 August 2014). Retrieved on 3 August 2014.
  13. ^ Martyn Rooney edges Matthew Hudson-Smith to take 400m gold. The Guardian (15 August 2014). Retrieved on 15 August 2014.
  14. ^ Minshull, Phil (14 August 2016). "Report: men's 400m semi-finals – Rio 2016 Olympic Games". World Athletics. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  15. ^ Rowbottom, Mike (6 August 2017). "Report: men's 400m semifinals – IAAF World Championships London 2017". World Athletics. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  16. ^ "4x400 Metres Relay men". 13 August 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  17. ^ Wilson, Steve (23 July 2022). "At last! Norman comes through to win first global 400m title". World Athletics. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  18. ^ Olus-Galadima, Yemi (25 August 2023). "Watson stuns to get 400m gold, 40 years after Cameron's triumph". World Athletics. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  19. ^ Broadbent, Rick (30 May 2024). "Matthew Hudson-Smith breaks own European 400m record in Oslo". The Times. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  20. ^ "ASHER-SMITH, HUDSON-SMITH AND GILL AMONG OLYMPIC CONTENDERS TO LIGHT UP UK CHAMPS". British Athletics. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  21. ^ "Keely Hodgkinson and Matt Hudson-Smith in record-breaking form in London". Athletics Weekly. 20 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  22. ^ "Hudson-Smith & Hodgkinson shine at Diamond League". BBC Sport. 20 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  23. ^ "Matt Hudson-Smith Takes 400m Silver in Dramatic Final". 7 August 2024.
  24. ^ a b Larsson, Peter. "Men's 400m". alltime-athletics.com.
  25. ^ "Matthew Hudson-Smith targets Olympic gold in LA 2028". Sky Sports. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  26. ^ "Wolverhampton's Olympic athlete Matt Hudson-Smith gains more gold as he marries his long-term love". Express and Star. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  27. ^ "Olympic silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith ties knot with partner Antonia Tyson". SportsMax. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  28. ^ "US-bound Hudson-Smith says he will miss Midlands". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
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