Who is Sophie Hahn? The Commonwealth Games 2022 sprinter you need to know about

ITV News Central Reporter Mark Kielesz-Levine reports on the Sophie Hahn who is dominating athletics and will do for years to come


If you don't know the name Sophie Hahn, you probably should.

With her array of Gold and Silver medals, she's already, at the age of 25, one of the most successful athletes to come out of the East Midlands.

Her achievements are staggering: 

  • A gold medal at both the Rio and Tokyo Olympics (along with a silver in Rio)

  • Five golds and two silver in the World Championships

  • Five gold and four silver in the European Championships

And importantly for us this year, Sophie is the reigning Commonwealth Games Champion having won her event on the Gold Coast in 2018.

In fact, Sophie is so good that she has held gold medals in the same event from the World Championships, Paralympic Games, European Championships and Commonwealth Games, becoming the youngest athlete to complete the 'Grand Slam'.

As someone with cerebral palsy, Sophie races mainly in the T38 100m but also competes in the T38 200, T38 400m and T38 4x100m relay. 


'Fingers crossed two-time Commonwealth in front of a home crowd'

There's a relentless determination about her and part of that she says is down to her growing up with two brothers, one of which is her twin.

Their competitive nature brought it out in Hahn and she could more than hold her own.

Her mum, Jane, went even further, recalling a time when Sophie would get invited to her brother's friend's birthday parties.

Jane would question it and say that there was no need to invite Sophie because she was his twin. The answer would always come back the same - Sophie was first on the list because she's good at football!

Reflecting on Sophie growing up, Jane admits all they wanted was for her to achieve all she could, given her perceived limitations. The athlete certainly has become a global name and dominating her event in a sport she loves. 

And her love for what she does really shines through. One of her mottos is "never give up" and this extends beyond the track. Whatever limitations Sophie may have, they certainly don't stop her living life to the full. 

But there have been difficult times. As a child she used to ask her mum what was wrong with her legs, especially when she saw her twin brother tearing around.

Described as being "very shy and very reserved" Sophie has had knock backs too and it hasn't all come easily.


Sophie's mum tells of the resilience her daughter has

Away from the track, she is a big football fan and we were told Sophie knows more about the sport than most boys.

Sophie also loves a piece of cake and a cup of tea - impressive considering she's an elite athlete. We'll just call that a cheat day...

As if the many medals weren't enough, Sophie is also an MBE, being awarded the honour by Prince William in 2017 and was given an honorary degree from Nottingham Trent University too.

Still relatively young in athlete terms, don't be surprised if you see Sophie dominate athletics in the years to come.

The sprinter will be looking to defend her Commonwealth crown and then in 2024 the Olympics beckons once more for the champion in Paris.