Hector Thomas Cheal Pardoe (born 29 March 2001) is a British swimmer. Specialising in distance and open water events, he is the 2024 bronze medalist in the World Aquatics Championships 10 km open water race,[1] the first British male swimmer to win a World Championship open water swimming medal in Olympic distance, 10km, since Welsh Compatriot, David Davies back in 2008.
Pardoe is also the current record holder for England's largest lake, Lake Windermere, in which he beat the 26 year old record, by 8 minutes. Pardoe set the record at 3 hours 40 minutes and 28 seconds.[2] In the ultra-marathon swimming scene, Hector holds the British record for the 25,000m, set in October 2020 at the French Open Water Championships in Jablines, finishing in 4 hours, 59 minutes, and 15 seconds.[3]
Lake Windermere end to end swim.Pardoe with stopwatch after breaking Lake Windermere World Record.
Swimming career and achievements
Pardoe became the first British swimmer to win a medal at the World Junior Open Water Championships when he won bronze in the individual 5 km in 2016.[4][5] Hector also lead off the Bronze medal winning GB relay team at the same World Junior Championships.[6]
In 2020, Pardoe finished 10th in the overall FINA Marathon Swim World Series. Later in 2020, he broke a British marathon swimming record by going under five hours for a 25,000-metre open water swim, at the French National Open Water Championships held in Jablines, France in a time of 4 hours 59 minutes and 3 seconds.[8]
In 2021, Pardoe made his Olympic debut in Tokyo at 20 years old. He qualified for Tokyo by winning the 2021 World Aquatic Olympic Qualifier in Setubal, Portugal,[9] but was forced to retire from the Tokyo Olympic race due to an elbow to his eye.[10] Pardoe ended the year by finishing 9th in the Grand Final of the 2021 FINA Marathon Swim World Series in Abu Dhabi, resulting in an overall 8th place position in the 2021 FINA World Marathon Series.[citation needed]
