.JPG)
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.
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.
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 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.
In 2014, he won gold at the Commonwealth Games in the 100 m backstroke, in a new Games record of 53.12 seconds. 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.
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. He also finished in 11th in the men's 100 m backstroke.
Competition results
| International competition | Event | Time | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Championships 2009 | 200 m backstroke | 1:56.05 (former NR) | 9th |
| Domestic competition | Event | Time | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Championships 2014 | 100 m backstroke | 53.82 | GOLD |
| 50 m backstroke | 25.09 | GOLD | |
| British Championships 2011 | 100 m backstroke | 55.41 | SILVER |
| 200 m backstroke | 2:01.94 | BRONZE | |
| British Championships 2010 | 200 m backstroke | 1:57.39 | SILVER |
| 100 m backstroke | 54.78 | SILVER | |
| 200 m freestyle | 1:49.98 | 6th | |
| British Championships 2009 | 200 m backstroke | 1:57.95 | GOLD |
| 100 m backstroke | 54.96 | SILVER | |
| 200 m freestyle | 1:48.99 | 5th |
References
- ^ 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.
- "'Poppet' backs himself for a stroke of fortune". The Independent. 22 March 2009.
- "Glasgow 2014 - Men's 100m Backstroke Final". g2014results.thecgf.com. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- "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.
- "Glasgow 2014 - Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Final". g2014results.thecgf.com. Archived from the original on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Great Britain Swimming at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
External links
- Chris Walker-Hebborn at World Aquatics
- Chris Walker-Hebborn at Swimrankings.net
- Chris Walker-Hebborn at Olympedia (archive)
- Chris Walker-Hebborn at Olympics.com
- Chris Walker-Hebborn at Team GB
- Chris Walker-Hebborn at the Commonwealth Games Federation (archived)
- Official Chris Walker-Hebborn website
- British Swimming athlete profile at the Wayback Machine (archived 30 July 2009)
| World long-course champions in 4×100 m mixed medley relay | |
|---|---|
|
| Commonwealth champions in men's 100 m backstroke | |
|---|---|
| |
|
| European Champions in Men's 100 m Backstroke | |
|---|---|
|
| European champions in men's 4 × 100 m medley relay | |
|---|---|
|
Netherlands (
Ukraine (| European Champions in Mixed 4×100 m Medley Relay | |
|---|---|
2014:  Great Britain, Chris Walker-Hebborn, Adam Peaty, Jemma Lowe, Fran Halsall, Georgia Davies, Ross Murdoch, Adam Barrett, Rebecca Turner2016: Great Britain, Chris Walker-Hebborn, Adam Peaty, Siobhan-Marie O'Connor, Fran Halsall |
- 1990 births
- Living people
- English male backstroke swimmers
- British male backstroke swimmers
- Olympic swimmers for Great Britain
- Swimmers at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Male backstroke swimmers
- Swimmers at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
- Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England
- People from Enfield, London
- Swimmers from the London Borough of Enfield
- World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming
- European Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming
- Medalists at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)
- World record setters in swimming
- Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for England
- Swimmers at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain
- Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Olympic silver medalists in swimming
- Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming
- Team Bath swimmers
- Medallists at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
- People educated at the Southport School
- 21st-century English sportsmen