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Publication: McGill Athletics Hall of Fame add link
Issue:
Title: George Hodgson
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Swimming (M) ? Player Profile

Name: George Hodgson

Last Team:

Inducted into the hall of fame - Sep 19, 96

George Hodgson was an inaugural inductee to the McGill Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.

George Ritchie Hodgson, born on Oct. 12, 1893 in Montreal, was considered by many to be the greatest swimmer in Canadian history.

He swam and played waterpolo at McGill from 1912 to 1916 while studying engineering (known then as applied science).

In 1911 he created waves by winning the mile at the Festival of Empire Games in London, England, now known as the Commonwealth Games.

Using an innovative trudgeon stroke ? a cross between the crawl and the sidestroke ? he became the first Canadian to win two Olympic gold medals, capturing the honors at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm.

During the Olympic one-mile swim, in what was described as a lagoon, he broke three world records (1,000m, 1,500m and the mile), winning gold in the 1,500m freestyle in a time of 22 minutes flat. A few days later he set another world record, winning the 400m freestyle in 5:24.4.

After serving in the war he returned to compete in the 1920 Olympics at Antwerp, Belgium.

Hodgson, who was considered as the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association's greatest one-sport athlete, was inducted to the Canadian Amateur Sports Hall of Fame in 1949 and died in Montreal on May 1, 1983.

Honours

Olympic medallist (1912 Stockholm Olympics (2 GOLDS))

Using an innovative trudgeon stroke ? a cross between the crawl and the sidestroke ? he became the first Canadian to win two Olympic gold medals, capturing the honors at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm.

During the Olympic one-mile swim, in what was described as a lagoon, he broke three world records (1,000m, 1,500m and the mile), winning gold in the 1,500m freestyle in a time of 22 minutes flat. A few days later he set another world record, winning the 400m freestyle in 5:24.4.

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