View source for David Hemery

{{Short description|English hurdler}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=August 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = David Hemery<br /><small>{{nobold|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE|DL}}}}</small>
| image = David Hemery 1968.jpg
| caption = 
| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|18 July 1944}}
| birth_place = [[Cirencester]], [[Gloucestershire]], England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = 1.87 m
| weight = 72 kg
| sport = Athletics
| club = [[Hillingdon AC]]<br> Boston University Terriers, USA
| event = 400 m, 110 m hurdles, 400 m hurdles, decathlon
| pb = 400 m – 46.6y (1968)<br> 110 mH – 13.4 (1970)<br> 400 mH – 48.12 (1968)<br> Decathlon – 6893* (1969)
| alma_mater =
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Sport | Men's [[athletics (sport)|athletics]]}}
{{Medal|Country | {{GBR2}} }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Mexico City]]|[[Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres hurdles|400 m hurdles]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Munich]]|[[Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Munich]]|[[Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres hurdles|400 m Hurdles]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[European Athletics Championships|European Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Silver| [[1969 European Athletics Championships|1969 Athens]]|[[1969 European Athletics Championships – Men's 110 metres hurdles|110 m hurdles]]}}
{{Medal|Country | {{ENG}} }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Commonwealth Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|1966 Kingston]]|[[Athletics at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|120 yard hurdles]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1970 British Commonwealth Games|1970 Edinburgh]]|[[Athletics at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games|110 metre hurdles]]}}
}}

'''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.<ref name=sr>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/he/dave-hemery-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417114245/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/he/dave-hemery-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-17 |title=Dave Hemery}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Book of Olympic Lists |url=https://archive.org/details/bookofolympiclis0000wall |url-access=registration |first=David |last=Wallechinsky |year= 2012 |isbn= 978-1845137731 |page= [https://archive.org/details/bookofolympiclis0000wall/page/21 21]|publisher=Aurum Press }}</ref>

== 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 [[UK|Britain]] for a time, and Hemery moved back and forth across the Atlantic during his training.<ref name=sr/><ref name="guardianolysrs">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/london-2012-olympics-blog/2012/apr/27/stunning-olympic-moments-david-hemery |title=50 stunning Olympic moments No25: David Hemery storms to gold in Mexico |date=27 April 2012 |work=[[The Guardian]] |author=Rob Bagchi}}</ref>

== Athletics career ==
Hemery's first international title came at the [[1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|1966 Commonwealth Games]] in Kingston, Jamaica,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/kingston-1966/athletes |title=Kingston 1966 Team |website=Team England |access-date=11 May 2025 }}</ref> where he won the 120 [[Yard|yd]] hurdles in 14.1 seconds, a title he retained four years later at the [[1970 British Commonwealth Games|1970 Commonwealth Games]] (by then it was the 110 m hurdles which he won in 13.8 seconds).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/edinburgh-1970/athletes |title=Edinburgh 1970 Team |website=Team England |access-date=11 May 2025 }}</ref>

At the [[Mexico City]] Olympics in 1968, Hemery won the 400 m hurdles in 48.12 seconds,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.athleticsweekly.com/featured/my-killer-session-david-hemery-50740|title=My killer session - David Hemery - Athletics Weekly|work=AW |date=30 August 2016 |last1=Moss |first1=Emily }}</ref> a new world record. His margin of victory was the largest since [[1924 Summer Olympics|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 (athlete)|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 [[1969 European Championships in Athletics#Track|European Championships]] in the 110 m hurdles, but missed the next European Championships in 1971 due to injury. At the [[1972 Summer Olympics]] in [[Munich]], Hemery defended his title and finished third, behind [[John Akii-Bua]] from [[Uganda]] and [[Ralph Mann]] from the United States. He was also a member of the silver medal-winning British 4 × 400 m [[Relay race|relay]] team, one of whose members was [[David Jenkins (athlete)|David Jenkins]].

Hemery was twice the [[List of British champions in sprint hurdles|British 120y/100m metres hurdles champion]] after winning the British [[AAA Championships]] titles at the [[1966 AAA Championships]] and [[1970 AAA Championships]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=11 May 2025}}</ref> Additionally he the [[List of British champions in 400 metres hurdles|British 440y/400m hurdles champion]] after winning the British AAA Championships titles at the [[1968 AAA Championships]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000729/19680714/220/0021 |title=White City results |work=The People |date=14 July 1968 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=11 May 2025}}</ref> and [[1972 AAA Championships]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (men) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=11 May 2025}}</ref>

== Superstars ==
Hemery won the first ever British [[Superstars (British TV programme)|Superstars]] competition, held in 1973, registering a second victory in 1976, and was recognised as Britain's best Superstar from 1973 to 1977.

As a recently retired athlete, Hemery was free to participate in the professional Superstars contests and keep any prize money he won – unlike many other competitors (like [[Kjell Isaksson]] or [[Andy Ripley]]). Noticing the very high standard of competition within a short time of the event starting, Hemery created his own training regime, becoming adept at the gymnasium tests and canoeing and propelling himself into national fame.

After winning the original British title, Hemery then entered the 1974 event though he was struggling with illness. Eventually narrowly beaten by [[John Conteh]], Hemery then went on to the 1975 European contest where he was beaten again, this time by [[Ties Kruize]]. When Kruize suffered serious injuries in a car crash before the final, Hemery was invited to participate and performed bravely, scoring points in every event. He was soundly beaten by Kjell Isaksson, but could still finish second. The rules for European Superstars allowed athletes to compete in "near specialist" events with a handicap, meaning that both Hemery and Isaksson were allowed to run in the 100 m and Steeplechase, but only after giving the other finalists a head start. In the final 600 m Steeplechase event Hemery had to make up a 100 m handicap on his rivals in order to finish in overall second, and valiantly did so, but only after again falling badly at the water jump. Hitting the ground hard while challenging Isaksson for the lead, Hemery rose with a grimace of pain on his face then sprinted for the line, grabbing third. However, as soon as the race was over he collapsed, with the TV cameras showing huge swelling to his injured leg – he had run the last 100 m with badly torn ankle ligaments.

In 1976 Hemery won back his British title with a dominating performance. He could not qualify for the European Final this year (beaten by Isaksson again), so he then tried his hand at the American version, qualifying for the final before finishing a disappointing 11th. Because of this sojourn to the US, Hemery was not eligible to compete in the inaugural 1977 World Final, and he did not compete again in individual Superstars again until the 1981 Challenge of the Champions, where he finished joint fourth with his great hurdling rival [[John Sherwood (athlete)|John Sherwood]]. Winning the 1983 Past Masters event enabled him to compete in the 1984 International Final (where he finished third, though 40 years old).

===Superstars record===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Year
!Event
!Position
|-
|1973
|British Final
|bgcolor="gold"|1st
|-
|1974
|British Final
|bgcolor="silver"|2nd
|-
|1975
|UK Heat
|2nd
|-
|1975
|European Final
|bgcolor="silver"|2nd
|-
|1976
|British Final
|bgcolor="gold"|1st
|-
|1976
|US Heat 1
|3rd
|-
|1976
|US Final
|11th
|-
|1976
|Swedish Heat
|3rd
|-
|1981
|Challenge of the Champions
|4th
|-
|1983
|UK Past Masters
|bgcolor="gold"|1st
|-
|1984
|International
|bgcolor="cc9966"|3rd
|}

== Later life ==
After his running career, Hemery worked as a coach in the United States and Great Britain. He returned to his alma mater, Boston University, at which as track coach he was widely admired by his student athletes and in which post he succeeded in recruiting many top-notch British runners to Boston University. In the [[1969 New Year Honours]] he was appointed a [[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire]] (MBE), before being promoted to [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire|Commander]] (CBE) in the [[2003 Birthday Honours]], in both cases for services to athletics.<ref>http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/ba-home-straight/hall-of-fame-athletes/david-hemery/{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>United Kingdom list: {{London Gazette |issue=44740 |date=20 December 1968 |pages=16 |supp=y}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=56963 |date=14 June 2003 |supp=y |pages=8 }}</ref> He received a master's degree in education from [[Harvard University]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.performanceconsultants.com/david-hemery|title=Dr David Hemery CBE}}</ref> For a period in the 1970s he taught at the famous English school [[Millfield]]. In 1998, he was elected as the first president of [[UK Athletics]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.performanceconsultants.com/david-hemery|title=Dr David Hemery CBE - Performance Consultants}}</ref> In 2011 Hemery became the first Briton to be awarded the European Olympic Committee's Laurel Award for services to sport. In 2015, he ran the London Marathon to raise money for the charity that he had founded - '21st Century Legacy'.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/london-marathon/11514753/David-Hemery-why-I-am-running-the-marathon-aged-70.html|title=David Hemery: why I am running the marathon aged 70|date=20 April 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.21stcenturylegacy.com/about-us|title=21st Century Legacy - About Us}}</ref>

In 2016, Hemery was appointed [[List of deputy lieutenants of Wiltshire|Deputy Lieutenant of Wiltshire]].<ref>{{cite web |title=New deputy lieutenants include TV archaeologist and Wiltshire College chairman |url=https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/14778395.new-deputy-lieutenants-include-tv-archaeologist-and-wiltshire-college-chairman/ |website=[[Salisbury Journal]] |access-date=30 August 2022 |date=3 October 2016}}</ref>

==Author==
Hemery has written several books.<ref>[https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/930508.David_Hemery David Hemery]. goodreads.com</ref>
* ''Another hurdle: The making of an Olympic champion'', 1976, {{ISBN|978-080-080233-2}}
* ''The Pursuit Of Sporting Excellence A Study Of Sport's Highest Achievers'', 1986, {{ISBN|978-087-322131-3}}
* ''Athletics in Action'', 1987, {{ISBN|978-009-166601-9}}
* ''Winning Without Drugs'', with Alan Evans, Guy Ogden, 1990, {{ISBN|978-000-218349-9}}
* ''Sporting Excellence: What Makes a Champion?'' 1991, {{ISBN|978-000-218398-7}}
* ''How to Help Children Find the Champion Within Themselves'', 2005, {{ISBN|978-056-351968-3}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*David Hemery, ''Another Hurdle'', Heinemann, London, 1976. His autobiography.

== External links ==
* Hemery at the 1966 Commonwealth Games {{YouTube|8uVZ4YTfh_8}}

{{Commons category}}
* {{Olympics.com|david-peter-hemery}}
* {{Olympedia}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions 400 m hurdles Men}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions Great Britain Men}}
{{Footer Commonwealth Champions 110m Hurdles Men}}
{{Footer Universiade Champions 110m Hurdles Men}}
{{BBC Sports Personality of the Year winners}}
{{British Superstars Champions}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hemery, David}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:English men hurdlers]]
[[Category:British men hurdlers]]
[[Category:English men steeplechase runners]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Cirencester]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1968 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medallists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:English Olympic competitors]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England]]
[[Category:Deputy lieutenants of Wiltshire]]
[[Category:European Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:World record setters in the sport of athletics]]
[[Category:Boston University alumni]]
[[Category:Alumni of St Catherine's College, Oxford]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:BBC Sports Personality of the Year winners]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:FISU World University Games gold medalists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Harvard Graduate School of Education alumni]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1970 Summer Universiade]]
[[Category:Boston University Terriers men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in athletics]]