Chris Walker-Hebborn

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Chris Walker-Hebborn
Kazan 2015 - UK wins gold and set WR at mixed medley relay (Chris Walker-Hebborn cropped).JPG
Walker-Hebborn in 2015
Personal information
Full nameChristopher James Walker-Hebborn
Nickname"Chris"
National teamFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
Born (1990-07-01) 1 July 1990 (age 33)
Enfield, London
Height1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) [1]
Weight80 kg (176 lb)
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Backstroke
Club University of Bath
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
Olympic Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m medley
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2015 Kazan 4×100 m mixed medley
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2017 Budapest 4x100 m medley
World Championships (SC)
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2014 Doha 4×50 m mixed medley
European Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2014 Berlin 100 m backstroke
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2014 Berlin 4×100 m medley
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2014 Berlin 4×100 m mixed medley
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2016 London 4×100 m medley
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2016 London 4×100 m mixed medley
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2014 Berlin 50 m backstroke
European Championships (SC)
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2013 Herning 100 m backstroke
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2015 Netanya 50 m backstroke
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2015 Netanya100 m backstroke
Representing Flag of England.svg  England
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2014 Glasgow 100 m backstroke
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2014 Glasgow 4×100 m medley
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2010 Delhi 4×100 m medley
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2014 Glasgow 4×100 m freestyle

Christopher James Walker-Hebborn (born 1 July 1990) is an English swimmer who competed for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2016 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal at the latter. [1]

Contents

A successful youth and junior athlete, Walker-Hebborn achieved a breakout year in 2014, winning two Commonwealth Games titles and three European Championship titles, including the Commonwealth Games and European Championships 100-metre backstroke gold medals.

A key member of the England and Great Britain medley relay teams, he formed part of the world record breaking, world title winning Great Britain mixed medley team at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships. He also won gold medals as part of the England men's medley relay at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and both men's and mixed medlay relay teams at the 2014 European Aquatics Championships, again with Great Britain. In 2016 he was part of the Great Britain team to retain both the men's and mixed medley relay titles, his fourth and fifth European golds. At the 2016 Rio Olympics he won a silver medal as part of the men's 4 × 100 m medley relay.

Early career

He is currently based at the University of Bath, where he trains at one of British Swimming's Intensive Training Centres. As a teenager he spent two years at the British Offshore Centre in Australia at The Southport School, from 2006 to 2008.

In March 2009, he qualified for his first senior World Championships after beating event favourite James Goddard in the 200 m backstroke at the British Championships, held in Sheffield. [2]

Walker-Hebborn's preliminary heat performance in Rome secured him a place in the semifinals where, as one of the few swimmers not wearing the controversial[ clarification needed ] full body suit. This is when he set a new British record to become a finalist. The record was to stand only briefly, as he broke it again in the finals (1:56.05), placing 9th.

He was offered a scholarship at Florida State University in January 2009 but returned to his Bury St. Edmunds home after just a few weeks due to lack of long course training.

Later career

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he competed in the men's 100 and 200 m backstroke, finishing in 20th and 22nd respectively. [3]

In 2014, he won gold at the Commonwealth Games in the 100 m backstroke, in a new Games record of 53.12 seconds. [4] He was also part of the English 4 × 100 m medley relay team that won gold in a Games record, and the 4 × 100 m freestyle team that won bronze. [5] [6]

At the 2016, he teamed with Adam Peaty, James Guy and Duncan Scott in the GB team that won a silver medal in the men's 4 × 100 m medley relay at the 2016 Summer Olympics. [7] He also finished in 11th in the men's 100 m backstroke. [3]

Chris Walker-Hebborn with the gold-winning team in 4 x 100 m mixed medley at the 2015 Kazan World Championship Kazan 2015 - UK wins gold and set WR at mixed medley relay.JPG
Chris Walker-Hebborn with the gold-winning team in 4 × 100 m mixed medley at the 2015 Kazan World Championship

Competition results

International competitionEventTimePosition
World Championships 2009 200 m backstroke1:56.05 (former NR)9th
Domestic competitionEventTimePosition
British Championships 2014 100 m backstroke53.82GOLD
50 m backstroke25.09GOLD
British Championships 2011 100 m backstroke55.41SILVER
200 m backstroke2:01.94BRONZE
British Championships 2010 200 m backstroke1:57.39SILVER
100 m backstroke54.78SILVER
200 m freestyle1:49.986th
British Championships 2009 200 m backstroke1:57.95GOLD
100 m backstroke54.96SILVER
200 m freestyle1:48.995th

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References

  1. 1 2 Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Chris Walker-Hebborn". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
  2. "'Poppet' backs himself for a stroke of fortune". The Independent . 22 March 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Chris Walker-Hebborn Bio, Stats, and Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  4. "Glasgow 2014 - Men's 100m Backstroke Final". g2014results.thecgf.com. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  5. "Glasgow 2014 - Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay Final". g2014results.thecgf.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  6. "Glasgow 2014 - Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Final". g2014results.thecgf.com. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  7. "Great Britain Swimming at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2020.