Sophie Hitchon Explained
| Birth Date: | 1991 7, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Burnley, Lancashire, England |
| Weight: | 74kg (163lb) |
| Sport: | Athletics |
| Event: | Hammer throw |
| Updated: | 15 August 2022 |
Sophie Hitchon (born 11 July 1991) is a retired British hammer thrower. She is the British record-holder with a throw of 74.54 metres, set when winning the Olympic bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Games, Great Britain's first ever Olympic medal in the event. She also reached the hammer final at the 2012 London Olympics, and is the 2010 World Junior Champion, the 2013 European U23 Champion, and the 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist.
Early life
Hitchon was born in Burnley, Lancashire, and attended Wellfield Church Primary School, Ivy Bank Business and Enterprise College and Thomas Whitham Sixth Form.[1] She is studying for a BSc in Business and Sport Management from the University of Hertfordshire.[2] Hitchon practiced ballet between the ages of 4 and 14 and credits it for teaching dedication to sport.[3]
Achievements
In April 2007, Hitchon set a new UK Under 17 Women's record with a throw of 49.61m at the Kingston-upon-Hull AC Open meeting.[4] The previous record was 48.94m achieved by Frances Miller[5] of Elgin Harriers at the 2001 IAAF World Youth Championships in Debrecen, Hungary.
In March 2008, at the age of 16, Hitchon set a new junior record with a throw of 59.74m at the UK Throws event in Birmingham, followed by a 59.49m throw at the Blackpool Open Meeting the same weekend.[6]
In July 2009, Hitchon won bronze in the hammer at the European Junior Championships. In doing so she also improved her own national junior record to 63.18m and took Britain's first ever European Junior medal in the women's hammer.[7]
A year later, Hitchon was captain of the UK women's team at the IAAF World Junior Championships (Moncton, Canada, 19–25 July), as well as remaining the UK junior hammer record holder.[8]
In July 2011, Hitchon represented the UK in the European Under-23 Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic (14–17 July),[9] taking the bronze medal.
At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Hitchon achieved a bronze medal in the women's Hammer throw with a distance of 68.72m. This was her first success at a senior level championship.[10]
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Hitchon achieved a bronze medal in the women's hammer throw with a distance of 74.54 metres on her final attempt, setting a new GB record in the process. It also made her the first British hammer thrower to win an Olympic medal[11] and ended a 28-year Olympic medal drought for GB in women's field events since Fatima Whitbread's silver at Seoul in 1988.
Hitchon announced her retirement in May 2021.[12]
International competitions
| Representing |
|---|
| 2007 | World Youth Championships | Ostrava, Czech Republic | 9th q | 50.28 m[13] |
| 2008 | World Junior Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 7th | 58.45 m[14] |
| 2009 | European Junior Championships | Novi Sad, Serbia | 3rd | 63.18 m[15] |
| 2010 | World Junior Championships | Moncton, Canada | 1st | 66.01 m[16] |
| 2011 | European U23 Championships | Ostrava, Czech Republic | 3rd | 69.59 m[17] |
| World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 13th q | 64.93 m |
| 2012 | Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 12th | 69.33 m
in qualifying: 71.98m - New British Record |
| 2013 | European Team Championships | Gateshead, Kingdom | 3rd | 72.97 m New British Record |
| European U23 Championships | Tampere, Finland | bgcolor=gold | 1st | 70.72 m |
| 2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | 4th | 73.86 m New British Record |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 3rd | 74.54 m New British Record |
| 2017 | World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 7th | 72.32 m |
| 2018 | World Cup | London, United Kingdom | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | 73.48 m |
| European Championships | Berlin, Germany | 8th | 70.52 m |
| Representing |
|---|
| 2008 | Commonwealth Youth Games | Pune, India | 1st | 58.43 m |
| 2014 | Commonwealth Games | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 3rd | 68.72 m |
| 2018 | Commonwealth Games | Gold Coast, Australia | — | NM | |
Notes and References
- http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/archive/2011/04/19/Grass+Roots+Awards/8982113.Walker_and_Hitchon_support_Grass_Roots_Heroes_awards/ Walker and Hitchon support Grass Roots Heroes awards
- Web site: Olympic medallist joins The University of Hertfordshire. University of Hertfordshire. University of Hertfordshire. 10 October 2016.
- News: Poole . Harry . Rio 2016: Team GB's Sophie Hitchon on her journey to the Olympics . BBC Sport . 26 May 2021.
- http://www.uka.org.uk/media/news/april-2007/article-13/?locale=en British Athletics Official WebsiteAlex hammers home a Euro Juniors qualifier
- Web site: Frances MILLER | Profile | World Athletics.
- http://www.uka.org.uk/media/news/march-2008/19-03-08-hitchon-record/?locale=en British Athletics Official WebsiteJunior Record for Sophie
- http://www.uka.org.uk/media/news/july-2009/24-07-09-euro-juniors-4/?locale=en British Athletics Official WebsiteFour More Medals in Serbia
- http://www.uka.org.uk/media/news/july-2010/17-07-10-juniors-preview/?locale=en British Athletics Official WebsiteStay calm and focused, says Hitchon
- http://www.uka.org.uk/media/news/july-2011/15-07-11-european-u23-3/?locale=en British Athletics Official WebsiteEuropean Under-23 Championships (3)
- News: Glasgow 2014: Sophie Hitchon hopes to follow up hammer bronze. BBC Sport. 30 July 2014. 15 August 2016.
- Web site: Rio Olympics 2016: Hitchon wins Britain's first. BBC Sport. 15 August 2016. 15 August 2016.
- News: Sophie Hitchon: Britain's Rio Olympics hammer bronze medallist retires . BBC Sport . 26 May 2021.
- http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/country=gbr/athcode=236240/index.html Sophie Hitchon profile
- Web site: Nelson secures 100m Silver in Poland.
- http://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=29812 Sophie Hitchon profile
- Web site: UKA IAAF World Juniors (10) . www.uka.org.uk . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120621051826/http://uka.org.uk/media/news/news-archive-pre-2011/july-2010/24-07-20-world-juniors-10/ . 2012-06-21.
- http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/athletics/9144651.Blackburn_Harrier_Sophie_Hitchon_breaks_record_again/ Blackburn Harrier Sophie Hitchon breaks record again
