Percy Hodge
British athlete (1890–1967)
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Percy Hodge (26 December 1890 – 27 December 1967) was a British athlete, winner of the 3000 m steeplechase at the 1920 Summer Olympics.[1]
Hodge at the 1920 Olympics | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 26 December 1890 | |||||||||||
| Died | 27 December 1967 (aged 77) Bexhill-on-Sea, England | |||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||
Event | Steeplechase | |||||||||||
| Club | Surrey AC | |||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 440 yd – 50.2 (1917) 800 m – 1:58.5e (1921) Mile – 4:32.6 (1916) 3000 mS – 10:00.4 (1920) | |||||||||||
Medal record
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Career
Hodge was born in Guernsey, but then moved to Weymouth and Bournemouth, finally settling in Bexhill-on-Sea. He became the National 2 miles steeplechase champion after winning the AAA Championships title at the 1919 AAA Championships.[2][3]
The following year in 1920, he retained his AAA title[4] despite his shoe falling off in the second lap causing him to stop and lose some 100 yards, yet he won the race by a margin of 75 yards. He also finished ninth at the International Cross Country Championships and helped his team to win first place in 1920.[5] Shortly after, he was selected for the Olympic Games. The 1920 Summer Olympics were the first to include a (now common) 3000 m steeplechase. This was run on a grass course, unlike later competitions. Percy Hodge was the favourite, easily winning his heat and outrunning the rest of the field. He won the final in a time of 10:00.4, some 100 m ahead of second-placed Patrick Flynn from the United States. Hodge also ran in the heats of the 3000 m team event, in which Great Britain won a silver medal.[5]
Hodge retained his AAA title again in 1921[6][7] and 1923.[8]
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