.JPG) Walker-Hebborn in 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Christopher James Walker-Hebborn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | "Chris" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team |  Great Britain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1990-07-01)1 July 1990 (age 35) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 80 kg (176 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Backstroke | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | University of Bath | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Christopher James Walker-Hebborn (born 1 July 1990) is an Englishswimmer who competed for Great Britain at the2012 Summer Olympics and the2016 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal at the latter.[1]
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 theCommonwealth Games andEuropean 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 the2015 World Aquatics Championships. He also won gold medals as part of the England men's medley relay at the2014 Commonwealth Games, and both men's and mixed medlay relay teams at the2014 European Aquatics Championships, again with Great Britain. In2016 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 the2016 Rio Olympics he won a silver medal as part of themen's 4 × 100 m medley relay.
He is currently based at theUniversity of Bath, where he trains at one ofBritish Swimming's Intensive Training Centres. As a teenager he spent two years at the British Offshore Centre in Australia atThe Southport School, from 2006 to 2008.
In March 2009, he qualified for his first seniorWorld Championships after beating event favourite James Goddard in the 200 m backstroke at theBritish Championships, held in Sheffield.[2]
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[clarification needed] full body suit. This is when he set a newBritish 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 hisBury St. Edmunds home after just a few weeks due to lack of long course training.
At the2012 Summer Olympics, he competed in the men's 100 and 200 m backstroke, finishing in 20th and 22nd respectively.[1]
In 2014, he won gold at theCommonwealth Games in the 100 m backstroke, in a new Games record of 53.12 seconds.[3] He was also part of the English4 × 100 m medley relay team that won gold in a Games record, and the4 × 100 m freestyle team that won bronze.[4][5]
At the 2016, he teamed withAdam Peaty,James Guy andDuncan Scott in the GB team that won a silver medal in the men's4 × 100 m medley relay at the2016 Summer Olympics.[6] He also finished in 11th in the men's 100 m backstroke.[1]
| 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 |
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