David Hemery
He stunned the world by winning Olympic gold and setting a world record in the 400m hurdles at the 1968 Mexico City Games.
Born 1944 (age 82)·English hurdler·Birthday: July 18·The Silent Generation
Biography
David Hemery emerged from the English countryside to become one of track and field's most precise technicians. His athletic career was defined not by raw speed alone, but by a meticulous, almost scientific approach to the rhythm of the hurdles. The pinnacle came in the thin air of Mexico City in 1968, where he executed a flawless race, winning the 400m hurdles by a staggering margin and smashing the world record. That moment of solitary triumph, glancing back at a distant field, became an enduring Olympic image. Beyond his running, Hemery dedicated his life to coaching and sports psychology, guiding future generations of British athletes with the same thoughtful discipline he applied to his own craft. His legacy is that of a pioneer who demonstrated how mental fortitude and technical perfection could converge for historic results.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
David was born in 1944, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1944
#1 Movie
Going My Way
Best Picture
Going My Way
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1944Born
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1949Started school
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1957Became a teenager
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Could drive
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1962Could vote
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Turned 21
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1974Turned 30
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1984Turned 40
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 50
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 60
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 70
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 80
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 82 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the gold medal in the 400m hurdles at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
- Set a new world record of 48.12 seconds in his Olympic victory.
- Captured a bronze medal in the 4x400m relay at the 1972 Munich Games.
- Served as President of UK Athletics from 1999 to 2007.
Did You Know?
He was born in Cirencester, England, but grew up in the United States and attended Boston University.
His winning margin in the 1968 Olympic final was 0.7 seconds, a huge gap in elite hurdling.
After retiring, he authored several books on sports psychology and peak performance.
He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1999.
“I knew I was going to win. I had run the perfect race.”
