David Hemery
British hurdler
David Peter Hemery (born 18 July 1944) is an English former track and field athlete. He was the winner of the 400 metres hurdles at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City in a new world record.
Early life
Hemery was born in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, but his father's accounting work took the family to the United States, where he attended school and graduated from Boston University. At one point the family had returned to Britain for a time, and Hemery moved back and forth across the Atlantic during his training.
Athletics career
Hemery's first international title came at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, where he won the 120 yd hurdles in 14.1 seconds, a title he retained four years later at the 1970 Commonwealth Games (by then it was the 110 m hurdles which he won in 13.8 seconds).
At the Mexico City Olympics in 1968, Hemery won the 400 m hurdles in 48.12 seconds, a new world record. His margin of victory was the largest since 1924, beating second-placed Gerhard Hennige from West Germany by almost a second. After Hemery crossed the line BBC commentator David Coleman famously exclaimed "Who cares who's third – it doesn't matter!" Hemery's British teammate John Sherwood turned out to be the bronze medal winner in a close finish that had to be settled by photo finish. Hemery's performance helped him win the 1968 BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
In 1969, Hemery won a silver at the European Championships in the 110 m hurdles, but missed the next European Championships in 1971 due to injury.
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