Michael Rimmer
Encyclopedia
Michael Alan Rimmer (born February 3, 1986) is an English
middle-distance runner. He was born in Southport
. Originally a member of Southport Waterloo AC, he defected to rivals Liverpool Pembroke Sefton, who he still now races with. He also 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
.
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
in 2010. This places him 6th on the "UK all time list" and is the fastest by any British athlete in over 17 years.
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.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
middle-distance runner. He was born in Southport
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
. Originally a member of Southport Waterloo AC, he defected to rivals Liverpool Pembroke Sefton, who he still now races with. He also 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
Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool John Moores University is a British 'modern' university located in the city of Liverpool, England. The university is named after John Moores and was previously called Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts and later Liverpool Polytechnic before gaining university status in 1992, thus...
.
He finished 8th in the 800m final at the 2006 European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
. Finished 2nd in his first European Cup in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
(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
Rieti
Rieti is a city and comune in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of c. 47,700. It is the capital of province of Rieti.The town centre rests on a small hilltop, commanding a wide plain at the southern edge of an ancient lake. The area is now the fertile basin of the Velino River...
in 2010. This places him 6th on the "UK all time list" and is the fastest by any British athlete in over 17 years.
As he won the Senior title in 2008, he was selected to represent Team GB at the Beijing Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. Rimmer's build-up to the Games was disrupted by food poisoning, which he picked up at the holding camp in Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
. 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
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
, held in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. 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
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. He won his first major championship medal in the European Championships in Barcelona, a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
behind Marcin Lewandowski
Marcin Lewandowski
Marcin Lewandowski is a Polish middle distance runner who specializes in the 800 metres.His personal best is 1:43.84 minutes, achieved in July 2009 in Monaco.He was born in Szczecin...
with a 1:47.17.