All Time British Combination Hurdles List

Nick Dakin

Photos Mark Sherman 

The performance levels of the sprint hurdles and 400m hurdles events combined - Combination Hurdling - could be seen as the most logical way of assessing the best British all round hurdling performers.

On an objective, numerical basis, the performances of an individual's sprint hurdles and 400m hurdles can be assessed by combining points scores on the IAAF Hungarian Points table - the top twelve British performers were calculated with 1997 World 110H Silver medallist and 1992 400H World Cup runner up Jon Ridgeon and Sally Gunnell , the 1992 Olympic & 1993 World 400H Champion and 1986 100H Commonwealth Games Champion coming respectively top of the men's and women's list. [the full points based list is given at the bottom of the article].

Top all round hurdler Sally Gunnell

Gunnell, on this basis, has the world best combined score 2429pts. The men's world best total is held by 1988 Olympic Champion Andre Phillips whose 47.19 400H and 13.25 110H performance give him a score of 2472pts.

Obviously the points total does not account for are factors such as achievements, depth of performances, era in which performances were achieved etc. Therefore UKHC conducted a poll amongst some of Britain's leading hurdles coaches and statisticians to arrive at a subjective top six all time British combination hurdlers.

Gunnell, unsurprisingly, came a very clear first on the women's side from Keri Maddox and Natasha Danvers, but on the men's side Olympic 400H Gold [and Bronze] medallist and double Commonwealth Sprint Hurdles winner David Hemery was an equally clear first choice followed by Alan Pascoe and then the top points scorer Jon Ridgeon.

 David Hemery - Unanimous Judges Choice   

Profiles of the top six are given below

Points	Male	Female	Points
42	David Hemery	Sally Gunnell	42
32.5	Alan Pasoce	Keri Maddox	32
27.5	Jon Ridgeon	Tasha Danvers	31
16	Mark Holtom	Yvette Wray	14.5
14	Lord Burleigh	Louise Fraser	12.5
8	Paul Grey	Sharon Colyear	9.5

 

1968 Olympic Champion 400H champion with a new World Record, a year he set five British records at 440yrds Hurdles and five British records at 400m Hurdles, as well as winning AAA and NCAA titles. Also set six British records at 120yrds/110m hurdles, winning two Commonwealth Games titles at the Sprint Hurdles in 1966 and again in 1970, as well as a 110H silver meal in the 1969 European Championships and the World Universiade title at the same event in 1970. Hemery only competed at the longer event in four seasons and only one year after his Olympic triumph, returning to finish 3rd in the 1972 Munich Olympics and later set a World best in the rarely run 300m hurdles 34.6	David Hemery	Sally Gunnell	1992 Olympic and 1993 World Champion at 400H, setting in the latter a World Record 52.74. Gunnell went on to complete the full set of 400H titles winning the European in 1994 and the same year retaining the Commonwealth title she had won previously won in Auckland in 1990. Gunnell also won the Europa Cup 400H four times having come 5th in the Seoul Olympics in her first major year at the event A Commonwealth Games Gold medallist at 100H in 1986, Gunnell also held the British record at 100M hurdles with 12.82 in 1988., in addition to eight British records at 400H. She won seven AAA 100m hurdles [as well as two at 400H]
Won consecutive 110H medals at the European Championships in 1969 and 1971, before finally striking European Gold at 400H in 1974 - the year he also won that event in the Commonwealth Games. Having equaled the manual British 110 record [13.9] in 1967, Pascoe set a electronic British record in the heats of the Mexico Olympics 14.01, before reaching the 1976 400H final in Montreal though hampered by injury. Victor of three AAA Sprint hurdles titles and three 400H titles, Pascoe also won the 1973 and 1975 European Cup and a further Commonwealth Bronze in 1978 all at 400H.	Alan Pasoce	Keri Maddox	A very successful junior Sprint Hurdler, Maddox was World Junior silver medallist in 1990 and a year later was crowned European Junior champion as well as gaining a Bronze medal in the 1991 World Universiade. Maddox went on to win the AAA senior Sprint hurdles title in 1998 and 1999, straddled by AAA 400H titles in 1997 and 2000. Represented England at both 100H & 400H in the 1998 Commonwealth Games coming 6th and 4th respectively. Again gained two event selection in the 1999 Seville World Championships, running below 13 seconds in the former, whilst making the semi finals of the latter.
Set a European Junior 110H record 13.46 in taking the Continental u20 title in 1985, the year he also claimed silver in the Senior World Indoor 60H. After a World Junior silver in 1986 [behind Colin Jackson] Ridgeon set three British 110H records [culminating with 13.29], took the World Universiade title and a silver in the 1997 Rome World Championships. Olympic finalist in 1988 despite illness, achillies injuries blighted Ridgeon's next few years and in 1992 he switched mid season to 400H and improved tp 48.72 to come second in the World Cup. Battled back from further achillies problems and again run below 49 in 1996 and made the Atlanta Olympic 400H semi final. 1996 AAA 400H champion and 1987 AAA 110H champion.	Jon Ridgeon	Tasha Danvers	Another very successful sprint hurdler as a junior, Danvers was the 1995 European Junior Silver medallist before coming sixth in the World Juniors in Sydney the following year. Switched to the 400H whilst studying in the USA, Danvers won three important 400H titles between 1999 and 2001; The European u23 in 1999, the NCAA's in 2000 and then the World Universiade in 2001 running 54.94 a fraction quicker than her first sub 55 second clocking achieved in qualifying for the 2000 Olympic final. AAA 400H champion in 1998 and 2002, Danvers has also improved her Sprint hurdles performances to 12.8W and 13.20
European Junior Silver Medallist at 110H in 1977, Holtom set three of the four British 110h records set in 1982, culminating in his 13.43 for Silver in that year's Commonwealth Games. Also won the 1981 European Cup at the sprint hurdles. Moving up to the 400H Holtom was 3rd at the 1985 European Cup, ran 49.49 in winning in Oslo and was ranked 8th in the World Merit Rankings. Fifth the following year in the 1986 Commonwealth Games.	Mark Holtom	Yvette Wray	Ran 13.50A during the Pentathlon in the 1979 World Universiade and went onto win three AAA Indoor 60H titles in 1882-84 all in identical times 8.33. Medalled in the 1982 Commonwealth 400m Hurdles and also won three AAA 400H titles in 1983, 1985 and again in 1986, the year she again reached the Commonwealth Games final, coming 5th. .
1924 Olympian at 110H, Cecil went on to win the Olympic 400H title in 1928 and claimed 4th place in the 1932 Games in his fastest ever time [52.01].  Won both 120 yrds and 440yrds Hurdles titles in the 1930 Empire Games. Was British record holder at 120, 220 and 440 yrds hurdles, winning five AAA titles at 440 and three at 120 yrds hurdles events.	Lord Burleigh	Louise Fraser	4th in the 100H European Junior Championships in 1989, Fraser represented England in the 1990 Commonwealth Games and claimed the 1991 UK Championship silver medallist also at the Sprint Hurdles. At the one lap event she competed in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and picked up two National 400H medals, a silver in the 1992 UK Championships and Bronze at the 1996 AAA Championships.
European u20 Bronze Medallist in the Sprint hurdles in 1987, Grey gained Commonwealth Bronze in that event in 1994.  His second foray at 400H saw him take the AAA title in 1998 and reach the European semi final with 49.16, then a Welsh record. Later that season just missed a medal at the 110H Commonwealth Games. Also made the World Championship team for Seville at the one lap hurdles the following year.	Paul Grey	Sharon Colyear	Set two electronic British records in a day at the 100H, running 13.21 in the heat followed by 13.11 in the final in Bydgoszcz, Poland in June 1976.  Won Commonwealth Sprint Hurdles Bronze for England in 1978, as well as Gold in the 4x100m

 

All Time Combination Hurlders by the Hungarian Points Table electronic timing only
pts	Times	Male	Female	Times	pts
2396	13.29/48.73	Jon Ridgeon	Sally Gunnell	12.82/52.74	2429
2353	13.72/48.12	David Hemery	Keri Maddox	12.95/55.22	2342
2339	13.43/49.49	Mark Holtom	Tasha Danvers	13.19/54.94	2319
2338	13.53/49.16	Paul Gray	Louise Fraser	13.36/56.26	2262
2321	13.79/48.59	Alan Pasoce	Sharon Colyear	13.11/57.55	2258
2259	14.00/49.26	Matt Douglas	Yvette Luker	13.50/56.46	2248
2253	13.60/50.86	Wilbert Greaves	Liz Fairs	13.49/58.48	2186
2237	14.14/49.25	Max Robertson	Vicki Jamison	13.96/56.42	2185
2232	13.75/50.79	Lloyd Cowan	Liz Sutherland	13.85/57.43	2171
2229	14.56/48.14	Chris Rawlinson	Judy Vernon	13.34/59.87	2168
2213	14.35/49.11	Gary Oakes	Kelly Sotherton	13.71/58.30	2164
2207	14.04/50.30	Liam Collins	Aileen Mills	13.97/57.76	2148