Sophie Hahn

Last updated

Sophie Hahn
MBE
Sophie Hahn Rio2016.jpg
Hahn at the 2016 Paralympics
Personal information
Birth nameSophie Megan Hahn [1]
NationalityFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Born (1997-01-23) 23 January 1997 (age 27)
Sport
CountryGreat Britain
SportAthletics
EventT38 sprint
ClubCharnwood
Coached byLeon Baptiste
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking1st – 100m (T38)
Personal best(s)100m sprint: 12.38s
200m sprint: 25.92s

Sophie Megan Hahn, MBE (born 23 January 1997) is a parasport athlete from England competing mainly in T38 sprint events. [2] In 2013, she qualified for the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships, selected for the T38 100m and 200m. She took the gold in the 100m sprint, setting a new world record.

Contents

In 2018, she won the gold medal in the T38 100 metres for women at the Commonwealth Games; in doing so she became the first female track and field athlete to hold gold medals in the same event from the World Championships, Paralympic Games, European Championships and Commonwealth Games, mirroring in parasports the achievements of fellow Paralympian Dan Greaves, and Olympic champions Daley Thompson, Linford Christie, Sally Gunnell, Jonathan Edwards and Greg Rutherford. [3]

Career history

Hahn, who has cerebral palsy, [4] came into athletics at the age of 15. Enthused by the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, her older brother, knowing of her pace as a runner encouraged her to seek an athletics club. Her mother got in touch with her nearest club and Hahn was called in for trials and accepted by coach Joseph McDonnell. Her first competitive races occurred in 2013, and in the Charnwood Athletics warm up she took the 100m and 200m races. After entering several tournaments in June, she broke onto the British sprinting scene by taking first place at the England Athletics Senior Disability Championships, winning both 100m (13.27s) and 200m (27.88s). [2] [5]

Selected for the IPC World Championships in Lyon in the T38, Hahn was entered in both the 100m and 200m in the T38 classification. On 21 July, she won her qualifying heat of the 200m with a time of 27.56. [6] In the final she was beaten by Brazil's Verônica Hipólito, but held on to take the silver medal. [7] On 23 July she qualified for the 100m sprint, this time coming in second. The next day, in the final, Hahn ran a world record time of 13.10s, beating Hipolito into second place. [8]

At the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, she won a gold medal in the 100 metres. [9]

Hahn won gold in the 100 metres at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Australia. [10] Also in 2018, Hahn had her impairment classification questioned by the father of a rival, Olivia Breen. At a Parliamentary select committee, Michael Breen claimed Hahn had been misclassified and was getting an unfair advantage. [11]

At the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, she claimed gold and set new world records in both the 100 metres [12] [13] and 200 metres. [14]

In June 2021, Hahn was among the first dozen athletes chosen for the UK athletics team at the delayed 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo [15] where she won gold in the 100 metres. [16] [17] [18]

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Hahn won a silver medal in the 100 metres. [19] [20] While a year later at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris, she took bronze in both the 100 metres and 200 metres. [21]

At the 2024 Summer Paralympics Sophie came 6th in the T38 100 metres. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libby Clegg</span> Scottish Paralympic sprinter

Elizabeth Gemma Clegg, is a British Paralympic sprinter and tandem track cyclist who has represented both Scotland and Great Britain at international events. She represented Great Britain in the T12 100m and 200m at the 2008 Summer Paralympics, winning a silver medal in the T12 100m race. She won Gold in Rio at the 2016 Paralympic Games in 100m T11 where she broke the world record and T11 200m, beating the previous Paralympic record in the process, thus making her a double Paralympic champion.

Jason Smyth is an Irish retired sprint runner. He competes in the T13 disability sport classification as he is legally blind, with his central vision being affected by Stargardt's disease; he also competes in elite non-Paralympic competition. As of July 2014, Smyth holds T13 World records in the 100m and 200m events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evan O'Hanlon</span> Australian Paralympic athlete

Evan George O'Hanlon, is an Australian Paralympic athlete, who competes mainly in category T38 sprint events. He has won five gold medals at two Paralympic Games – 2008 Beijing and 2012 London. He also represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, winning a silver medal and a bronze medal respectively. In winning the bronze medal in the Men's 100m T38 at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, O'Hanlon became Australia's most successful male athlete with a disability. His bronze medal took him to 12 medals in five world championships – one more than four-time Paralympian Neil Fuller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hannah Cockroft</span> British wheelchair racer

Hannah Lucy Cockroft is a British wheelchair racer specialising in sprint distances in the T34 classification and TV presenter.

Beverley Jones is a Paralympian from Wales competing in category F37 throwing events. Jones won a bronze medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games as an EAD in the 100m sprint. Jones has qualified for four Summer Paralympics from 2000 to 2012 finishing fourth twice, in the sprint in 2000 at Sydney and in the shot put at Athens in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Breen</span> Welsh Paralympic athlete

Olivia Breen is a Welsh Paralympian athlete, who competes for Wales and Great Britain mainly in T38 sprint and F38 long jump events. She qualified for the 2012 Summer Paralympics and was selected for the T38 100m and 200m sprint and was also part of the T35-38 women's relay team. She has also represented Wales at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games winning gold in the F38 Long Jump in 2018 and gold in the T37/38 100m in 2022.

Jenny McLoughlin is a British Paralympian track and field athlete competing mainly in T37 sprint events. She has represented Great Britain in the 2008 Summer Paralympics and in the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. After moving to Wales at the age of 14, she became eligible to join the Wales team for the Commonwealth Games, winning silver in the T37 sprint in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophie Kamlish</span> British Paralympic sprinter

Sophie Kamlish is a British Paralympic athlete who competes in sprint events in T44 events. She represented Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Paralympics and 2016 Summer Paralympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 IPC Athletics World Championships</span> Paralympic track and field event

The 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships was the biggest track and field competition for athletes with a disability since the 2012 Summer Paralympics. It was held in Lyon, France, and lasted from 20 to 28 July. Around 1,100 athletes competed, from 94 different countries. The event was held in the Stade du Rhône located at the Parc de Parilly in Vénissieux, in Lyon Metropolis.

Lee Whiteley is a British para-sport athlete who competes mainly in category T38 sprint events. Whiteley was born with cerebral palsy, but he did not begin competing in disability sporting events until an illness in 2011 resulted in him inquiring about disability sport. In 2013 he won his first major international medal with a bronze medal at the IPC Athletic World Championship in the 200m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sammi Kinghorn</span> Scottish wheelchair racer

Samantha "Sammi" May Kinghorn is a British World Champion wheelchair racer and TV presenter. At the 2024 paralympics she won a gold medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ella Pardy</span> Australian Paralympic athlete

Ella Azura Pardy is an Australian Paralympic athlete who competes in the T38 100m, 200m and long jump. She represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics in athletics where she won a bronze medal and the 2020 Toykor Paralympics and the 2024 Paris Paralympics

Maria Lyle is a retired para-athlete from Scotland who competed mainly in T35 sprint events. At the age of 14 she set a world record in the 200m sprint, a record she has broken on several occasions. In 2014, she qualified for the IPC Athletics European Championships in Swansea and won gold in both the 100m and 200m T35.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kadeena Cox</span> British paralympic athlete (born 1991)

Kadeena Cox is a parasport athlete competing in T38 para-athletics sprint events and C4 para-cycling and British television presenter. She was part of the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships and the 2016 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, in which she won world titles in the T37 100m and C4 500m time trial respectively.

Zac Shaw is a British Paralympic visually impaired sprinter who competes in the T12 classification. At the age of nine he became afflicted with stargardt disease. He made his first Great Britain squad for the IPC Athletics World Championships in 2015. Shaw made the Great Britain squad for the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris after just missing out on both the 2016 Summer Paralympics and 2020 Summer Paralympics.

Karé Adenegan is a British wheelchair athlete specialising in sprint distances in the T34 classification. She was classified as a disability athlete in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erin Cleaver</span> Australian Paralympic athlete

Erin Cleaver is an Australian Paralympic athlete with cerebral palsy. She represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics in athletics.

Isaac Towers is a Paralympian athlete from England competing in category T34 sprint and middle-distance events. Towers won gold and became the European champion in the 800m (T34) event in 2016, qualifying for the Summer Paralympics in Rio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhiannon Clarke</span> Australian Paralympic athlete

Rhiannon Clarke is an Australian para-athletics competitor who specialises in sprint events. She won two bronze medals at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships. She represented Australia at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

References

  1. "New Year's Honours list 2017" (PDF). Gov.uk . Government Digital Service. 30 December 2016. p. 62. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Sophie Hahn". thepowerof10.info. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  3. "Commonwealth Games: Eilidh Doyle & Kyle Langford win silvers on Gold Coast". BBC Sport. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  4. Hudson, Elizabeth (24 July 2013). "IPC Athletics: Sophie Hahn wins 100m gold in Lyon". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  5. "Day 2 – England Athletics Senior Disability Championships". englandathletics.org. 23 June 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  6. Green, Ciaran (22 July 2013). "Sophie Hahn qualifies in record time for the T38 200m". givemesport.com. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  7. Green, Ciaran (23 July 2013). "Sophie Hahn takes silver at IPC Athletics World Championships". givemesport.com. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  8. "New star Sophie Hahn shines with World record at IPC Athletics World Championships". World Athletics. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  9. "Rio Paralympics 2016: Great Britain win seven gold medals on day two". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  10. "Gold Coast 2018: Record-breaker Sophie Hahn wins gold". paralympic.org. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  11. "Classification claims heartbreaking – Hahn". BBC Sport.
  12. "World Para-Athletics Championships: Sophie Hahn wins T38 100m gold with new world record". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  13. "World Para-Athletics: Sophie Hahn breaks own world record for gold". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  14. "World Para-Athletics Championships: Sophie Hahn improves own T38 200m world record". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  15. "British team for Paralympics starts to take shape". AW. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  16. "Golden day on track for GB as Sophie Hahn and Thomas Young win T38 100m". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  17. "A GOLDEN EVENING AT THE TRACK FOR HAHN AND YOUNG". British Athletics. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  18. "Sprint golds for Sophie Hahn and Thomas Young at Paralympics". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  19. "Leicestershire's Sophie Hahn celebrates silver medal at Commonwealth Games". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  20. "Commonwealth Games: Olivia Breen shocks Sophie Hahn to claim 100m gold for Wales". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  21. "Terrific 29 medals for GB at the World Para Athletics Championships". England Athletics. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  22. "Young and Hahn miss out on medals as new stars surge to world records | Paris Paralympic Games 2024 | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 23 September 2024.