Matthew Hudson-Smith lines up for the men’s 400m final at the Olympic Games on Wednesday evening. But his journey to this moment has been full of struggles. The 29-year-old Briton is a hot favorite for gold, having breezed through his semi-final with a time of 44.07 seconds, even easing up in the final 50 meters. Despite his silver medal from last year’s World Championships and his recent stellar performances, Hudson-Smith’s career could have veered off course entirely.

At one point, he considered hanging up his spikes and seeing where he is now! Matthew Hudson has managed to turn the tables and stay in the running. After finishing eighth in Rio and being sidelined from Tokyo, he’s now eyeing the top spot, though he’ll be up against tough competition from Quincy Hall and Kirani James. Having hit rock bottom just three years ago, his comeback is praiseworthy. Whether he stands on the podium or not, he can be proud of his incredible journey and the obstacles he’s overcome to reach this point. But what exactly he had faced?

Personal battles and mental health struggles

After clinching Britain’s fourth medal at the World Championships in 2022, the Wolverhampton-born athlete bravely opened up about his personal struggles and mental health battles, revealing that he had attempted suicide the previous year following a series of setbacks. “I had huge mental health issues in 2021,” he said. “Not a lot of people know this, but I literally attempted suicide. He further added, “It’s been tough, man. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster,” he said. “2019 I tore my Achilles, tore my hamstring, messed up my hip. 2020 was Covid. Huge mental health issues in 2021. Yeah. Not a lot of people know this, but I literally attempted suicide.”

He further described how his 2019 was marred by severe injuries, including a torn Achilles, hamstring, and hip issues, followed by the disruptions of Covid in 2020 and significant mental health challenges in 2021. His struggles were compounded by ongoing injuries, which made competing difficult, and financial issues, including losing sponsorship, accruing debt due to lack of medical insurance, and being denied a Green Card.

Matthew Hudson continued by sharing the ongoing battle he faced with injuries, explaining: “I was racing knowing I was hurt all the time. Going to races knowing I wasn’t 100 percent. I couldn’t do the [Tokyo] Olympics for several reasons.” His situation was worsened by financial and professional hardships, as the former Asda worker found himself in serious debt. “I lost my sponsorship,” he said. “Didn’t have medical insurance in America and got a huge debt. I applied for and was denied my Green Card.”

Despite these significant obstacles, he also reflected on the emotional toll of losing influential figures in his career. “Losing people like [coach] Lloyd Cowan, who was a huge influence in my life and [former GB boss] Mr [Neil] Black, who were always there for me. Imagine stepping on the line knowing you’re hurt. You have a whole load of pressure because everyone expects a lot from you. You expect a lot from yourself.”

Two years after his brave admission, Hudson-Smith is now focused on achieving his first-ever Olympic medal in Paris. Entering the Games as the British and European record holder in the 400m with a personal best of 43.74 seconds from the London Diamond League, he continues to build on his impressive career, which includes being the 2018 European Champion in the 400 meters and a gold medalist in the 4×400 meter relay at the 2014 European Athletics Championships and the 2014 Commonwealth Games.’

Considering retirement from athletics

Matthew Hudson-Smith’s stellar career, highlighted by his recent European record-breaking performance, is approaching its end as he contemplates retirement. There was a moment when he thought about stepping from sports thinking, about other job paths, like pursuing a career as an electrician. Dealing with both injuries and mental health issues added stress to his plate., as he noted, “Imagine stepping on the line knowing you’re hurt. You have a whole load of pressure because everyone expects a lot from you. You expect a lot from yourself.”

Despite these obstacles, Hudson chose to continue pursuing athletics, driven by his love for the sport. Reflecting on his journey, he shared, “I talked to a lot of people about not doing the sport, about becoming an electrician… and now I’ve got this medal.” With his future, plans remain open but are likely influenced by his experiences and interests beyond the track.

Overcoming challenges and achievements

Born in Lanesfield, Wolverhampton, Matthew Hudson began his athletic journey with Birchfield Harriers but soon caught the eye of Wolves. Joining their Premier League academy at 11, his blazing speed made him a standout. “I was versatile, playing everywhere,” he said in 2016. “They used me as a right back and a striker—my speed was my biggest asset. Even if I didn’t have the best touch, I could chase down long balls and had a mean shot.”

Despite his promise on the pitch, Hudson-Smith chose to pursue athletics, leaving football behind due to his frustration with constant tackles and a sense that his relaxed nature didn’t fit with the team dynamics. “I think Wolves let me go because I was too relaxed,” he said. “In athletics, I could truly express myself.“And since then he has been making waves.

Matthew Hudson’s career took off like a rocket in 2014 with a 400m silver at the European Championships, and he struck gold in the 4x400m at both the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the European Championships that year. At just 21, he made his Olympic debut in Rio and later snagged 4x400m bronze at the 2017 World Championships in London. Training shoulder to shoulder with stars like Wayde Van Niekerk and Shaunae Miller-Uibo in Florida before Tokyo 2020, Hudson-Smith bounced back from an injury that cut his second Olympics short.

He made a triumphant return with a silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and added consecutive World Championship medals – bronze in 2022 and silver in 2023. Now, he is the shining hope of Great Britain in the Paris Olympics.