George Hodgson

Hodgson, George Ritchie

 George Ritchie Hodgson, swimmer (b at Montréal 12 Oct 1893; d there 1 May 1983). George Hodgson was Canada's first Olympic swimming champion. He received little formal training as a swimmer but practised summers at his family's cottage in the Laurentians and swam daily in winter at the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association pool. Representing Canada at the 1911 Festival of the Empire Games, George Hodgson defeated the world record holder over the 1-mile (1.6 km) distance. At the 1912 Stockholm Olympics he won gold medals in the 400 m freestyle and 1500 m freestyle, setting world records in both. They were not broken until 1924, by the famous American swimmer John Weissmuller. George Hodgson attended McGill and served with distinction in the RAF in WWI. Competing without success in the 1920 Antwerp Olympics, he retired to form an investment brokerage firm.