We thought the fight was real for Matthew Hudson-Smith during an extraordinary 44 seconds at Hayward Field as he battled the lactic acid in his legs and the fire in his lungs. Really, but we had no idea. No idea at all.
Shortly after ending the race of his life with a 400m world bronze medal around his neck and a smile reminiscent of glorious catharsis, the 27-year-old from Birmingham revealed the shocking truth that everything had gone dark almost forever .
“Not many people know this, but I literally attempted suicide.” And then all of a sudden it all fell apart. How he had suffered from enormous psychological problems. Landed in significant financial debt in the US due to injuries. Lost his sponsors. And after being isolated in America during Covid, he began to slide dangerously to the brink.
“In 2018 I won the European Championship, although not everything went according to plan,” he explained. “In 2019 I tore my Achilles tendon, tore my hamstring, messed up my hip. I was in huge debt because I didn’t have American health insurance. During Covid in 2020 I was stuck alone in America. And in 2021 I had major mental problems.”
He was also deeply affected by the loss of two of his mentors, former British Athletics head coach Neil Black and his close friend Lloyd Cowan. But then, fortunately, a close-knit team of friends, family and loved ones managed to pull him back from the abyss. “I couldn’t compete in the Olympics for a number of reasons,” he said. “I also raced and I knew I was injured the whole time. But it was also mental. A lot of people would have gone nuts.”
Even after the worst was over, he thought about quitting. “My mom and my girlfriend said, ‘Give him a year,'” he said. “I wanted to be an electrician” Luckily he found a new sponsor in Puma and was able to pay off his debts.
And after a year free of injury and doubt, Hudson-Smith was able to make Eugene shine in a much more spectacular way: by finally showing the world the depths of his talent and determination. Helped in this was a chance meeting with legendary 1968 Mexican gold medalist Tommie Smith, one of the smoothest sprinters on the track and a strong advocate for social change off it.
He had watched the Brit lose concentration in his semi-final as he started looking around in front of the line and gave him some urgent advice for the final. He told me, “Don’t look left, don’t look right, just look straight ahead,” explained Hudson-Smith, who listened and learned, then delivered.
Coming out of the final corner, Hudson-Smith was surrounded by three others who were hoping for a medal. American Michael Norman, fourth fastest man in history. Kirani James from Grenada, World and Olympic Champion. And world record holder Wayde Van Nieeirk.
In such august company, many would have panicked. Especially when Norman slid away to take gold in 44.29 seconds, ahead of James who took silver in 44.48 seconds. But while Van Niekerk began to fade and fifth-place athlete Champion Allison began to grow, Hudson-Smith maintained his form and clinched a brilliant bronze with 44.66.
“My coach said he already knew champion would come at the end,” he said. “And then I felt someone outside of me. In my head I was like, ‘Just take out Champion.’
“I was just looking forward to going forward,” he added. “Then I had an anxious wait. But when I saw my name I just fell on the floor because those three years were absolute hell.”
As Hudson-Smith crossed the finish line, he received his medal from Iwan Thomas – the British record holder for 25 years until Hudson-Smith surpassed him in May. His face told you there couldn’t be a sweeter moment.
Afterward, Hudson-Smith also praised another mentor, former Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu, as well as his “best friend” Dina Asher-Smith, who jumped and roared in the grandstand as he won his first global medal.
That moment was the culmination of a remarkable journey that began in 2014 when Hudson-Smith was a teenager working at Asda. At this point he was on the verge of enlisting in the army, having failed in the British trial. Instead, a sliding door moment sent his life in a different direction.
When Michael Bingham retired from the Glasgow Diamond League, Hudson-Smith was the unlikely unknown chosen to compete with the world’s best. “I called Asda and said I wasn’t coming back,” he said. “They said I could come back anytime, but I said ‘no, I’m not coming back’. This weekend I ran 44 seconds for 400 m.”
In the blink of an eye, Hudson-Smith then led the England relay to gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and won individual silver at the European Championships. People were talking about him as British Athletics’ next superstar. Instead, injuries and problems threw him sideways and backwards.
At 27, some felt Hudson-Smith’s moment was gone forever. However, now he dreams of brighter days and shinier medals.
“People know my talent,” he said. “People know what I can offer. You’ve seen me run 44.3 in a row now. This is my first shot at a medal on the world stage. Lots of people keep pushing from here. It’s my first year with my coach. Everything is possible.”
everything, yes And everything.
Comments are closed.