Michael Rimmer (original) (raw)

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English middle-distance runner

Michael Rimmer

Rimmer during the 800 metres final at the 2010 European Championships
Personal information
Born (1986-02-03) 3 February 1986 (age 38)Southport, United Kingdom
Sport
Country Great Britain
Sport Men's athletics
Event 800 metres
Achievements and titles
Personal best 800 metres: 1:43.89[1]
Medal record European Championships Silver medal – second place 2010 Barcelona 800 m

Michael Alan Rimmer (born 3 February 1986, in Southport) is an English middle-distance runner. He was born in Southport. Originally a member of Southport Waterloo AC, he changed clubs to rivals Liverpool Pembroke Sefton, who he still now races with. He attended Christ The King catholic high school and broke numerous records in school mile races held at Victoria park, Southport. Michael was also a former sports scholar at Liverpool John Moores University.[2]

He finished 8th in the 800m final at the 2006 European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg. Finished 2nd in his first European Cup in Munich (2007). He is the first male 800 m runner in British history to win national titles at under 15, 17, 20 and as a senior athlete.

His personal best is 1:43.89 (lowering his previous mark by over half a second) which he set in Rieti, Italy, in 2010.[3] This places him 6th on the "UK all time list" and is the fastest by any British athlete in over 17 years.[4]

As he won the Senior title in 2008, he was selected to represent Team GB at the Beijing Olympics. Rimmer's build-up to the Games was disrupted by food poisoning, which he picked up at the holding camp in Macau. The Southport runner comfortably came through his first-ever Olympic race in 1:47.61, despite having lost almost 7 pounds (3.2 kg) because of his illness.

In August 2009, Rimmer competed in the World Championships, held in Berlin. Rimmer looked promising throughout the heats of the 800 m, and after squeezing through his previous round he was well down the field in the semi-final in a time of 1:46.77. In July 2010, he became the first male 800 m runner in history to win five consecutive national senior titles in Birmingham. He won his first major championship medal in the European Championships in Barcelona, a silver medal behind Marcin Lewandowski with a 1:47.17.

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing Great Britain and England
2004 World Junior Championships Grosseto, Italy 8th 800m 1:50.59
5th 4 × 400 m relay 3:07.02
Commonwealth Youth Games Bendigo, Australia 3rd 800 m 1:51.20
2005 European Junior Championships Kaunas, Lithuania 8th 800 m 1:53.16
2006 European Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 8th 800 m 1:47.66
2007 World Championships Osaka, Japan 20th (sf) 800 m 1:47.39
2008 Olympic Games Beijing, China 22nd (sf) 800 m 1:48.07
2009 World Championships Berlin, Germany 16th (sf) 800 m 1:46.77
2010 European Championships Barcelona, Spain 2nd 800 m 1:47.17
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea 23rd (h) 800 m 1:47.11
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 41st (h) 800 m 1:49.05
2013 European Indoor Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 7th 800 m 1:51.04
World Championships Moscow, Russia 19th (sf) 800 m 1:47.06
2014 Commonwealth Games Glasgow, United Kingdom 7th 800 m 1:46.71
European Championships Zürich, Switzerland 18th (h) 800 m 1:48.51
2015 World Championships Beijing, China 34th (h) 800 m 1:48.70
2016 Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 23rd (sf) 800 m 1:46.80
  1. ^ IAAF. "IAAF Profile for Michael Rimmer".
  2. ^ "Sports Scholar Alumni bag medals for GB". Liverpool John Moores University. 2 August 2010. Archived from the original on 21 November 2010. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
  3. ^ "David Rudisha breaks own 800m world record". BBC. 29 August 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  4. ^ "UK All-Time Lists: Men – Track (800-5000)". Athletics Weekly. 31 December 2006. Retrieved 31 January 2018 – via Gbrathletics.com.