Georgina Hermitage

Georgina Hermitage, MBE (born 28 March 1989) is a British parasport athlete competing in T37 sprint events.[1] In 2015, she qualified for the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, selected for the T37 100m and 200m. She took the gold in the 400m sprint, setting a new world record.[2][3]

Georgina Hermitage
MBE
Personal information
Nationality Great Britain
Born (1989-03-28) 28 March 1989
Guildford, England
Sport
CountryGreat Britain
SportAthletics
Event(s)T37 sprint, middle distance
ClubGuildford & Godalming AC
Turned pro2014
Coached byPaula Dunn (national)
Paul MacGregor (club)
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking1st – 400m (T37)
Personal best(s)100m: 13.79s
200m: 28.48s
400m: 1:02.01
Medal record
Women's para-athletics
Representing  Great Britain
Paralympic Games
2016 Rio100m – T37
2016 Rio400m – T37
2016 Rio4 × 100 m – T35-38
World Championships
2015 Doha400m – T37
2015 Doha4x100m relay – T35-38
2017 London100m – T37
2017 London400m – T37
2015 Doha100m – T37
European Championships
2016 Grosseto100m – T37
2016 Grosseto200m – T37
2016 Grosseto400m – T38
2016 Grosseto100m – T35-38

Personal history

Hermitage was born in Guildford, England in 1989.[4] She has cerebral palsy which mainly affects the left side of her body.[1] She was educated at George Abbot School in her home town.[4] In 2012 Hermitage gave birth to her first child.[5]

Sporting career

Hermitage took up athletics as a school girl and joined Guildford & Godalming Athletics Club. At the age of 14, frustrated by her lack of progress compared to her peers, she was approached by coach Hazel Childs who suggested she switch to parasports.[4] Hermitage took the advice badly and quit athletics in protest, though she later admitted regretting this decision.[4]

In 2012, following the London Paralympics and inspired to leave a legacy to her new born daughter, Hermitage decided to become classified as a parasport athlete.[3][4] She was classified as a T37 competitor and in 2013 she entered her first meets as a disability runner.[2] She intended to compete throughout 2014, but a stress fracture to her foot saw her miss the majority of that year's competition including the 2014 IPC Athletics European Championships in Swansea.[6]

In February 2015 Hermitage made her international debut when she travelled to Dubai to take part in the Fazaa International, the first IPC Grand Prix of the year. At the meet she ran 14.22 to set a new personal best in the 100m sprint, winning gold in the process.[7] In June that year Hermitage represented Great Britain again when she competed at the Berlin IPC Grand Prix. There she entered the 100m, 200m and 400m sprints. She won all three events, posting personal bests in the 100m (13.80s) and 200m (28.48s) and beating Lisa McIntosh's 15-year-old record in the T37 400m sprint with a time of 1:02.70.[2][6][8] Just over a month later Hermitage entered her third Grand Prix of the year, held at the Olympic Park in London. There she improved on her record in the 400m winning the race in 1:02.48.[2][9]

At the end of 2015 Hermitage represented Great Britain at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha. There she entered the T37 100m and 400m sprints. In the heats for the 100m she recorded a personal best of 13.79, finishing second to team mate Kadeena Cox who set a new world record.[10] In the finals the result was the same, Hermitage came second to Cox to win silver, her first major international medal.[11][12] Three days later Hermitage competed in her favoured 400m event. Her time of 1:02.01 was an improvement of her own world record, beating the World Champion, France's Mandy Francois-Elie, into second place.[13]

At the 2016 Summer Paralympics, Hermitage won the T37 100m final in a time of 13.13 to take the gold medal.[14]

References
  1. "Hermitage, Georgina". paralympic.org. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  2. "Georgina Hermitage". thepowerof10.info. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  3. Hudson, Elizabeth (25 October 2014). "IPC World Athletics: Georgina Hermitage wins 400m gold". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  4. Dyke, Chris (24 June 2015). "World record set at Paralympic Games smashed by 400m runner Georgina Hermitage". getsurrey.co.uk. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  5. "Georgie Hermitage". sportsaid.org.uk. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  6. "World record holder Hermitage now the one to watch". paralympic.org. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  7. "World records galore at IPC Grand Prix in Dubai". britishathletics.org.uk. Archived from the original on 9 July 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  8. "Hermitage a record breaker in Berlin". britishathletics.org.uk. 21 June 2015. Archived from the original on 24 June 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  9. "Team GB heroes return to Stratford for Sainsbury's Anniversary Games". newhamrecorder.co.uk. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  10. "Results – Women's 100m T37 Round 1 Heat 2/2". IPC. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  11. "Georgina Hermitage". IPC. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  12. Hudson, Elizabeth (22 October 2015). "IPC World Athletics: Hannah Cockroft wins gold in Doha". BBC. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  13. "Results – Women's 400m T37 Final". IPC. 25 October 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  14. BBC. "SPORT Paralympics 2016". BBC News. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
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