Sophie Thornhill was born on 9 February 1996 and is a visually impaired English former racing cyclist who competed in para-cycling tandem track events.
10 Facts About Sophie Thornhill
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Sophie Thornhill attended Poynton High School, attended by para-cyclist Sarah Storey, and Loughborough College.
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Sophie Thornhill met the para-cyclist Anthony Kappes, visually impaired, via her uncle; he encouraged her to train as a track cyclist.
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Sophie Thornhill raced as the stoker on the back of a tandem, with the front position occupied by a pilot with normal vision.
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Sophie Thornhill was initially piloted by English cyclist Helen Scott, with whom she won three British events.
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Sophie Thornhill was selected for the English team at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, where para-cycling appeared for the first time; at 18, she was the track cycling team's youngest member.
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Sophie Thornhill reunited with James to compete in the 2014 British National Track Championships in September, where they won the mixed time trial and the 200-metre flying start time trial for blind and visually impaired riders.
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Sarah Storey 8.
At the 2016 Rio Paralympics Sophie Thornhill won gold in the 1km time trial B and bronze in the individual pursuit B, on both occasions alongside Helen Scott.
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Sophie Thornhill was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to cycling.
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In June 2020, Sophie Thornhill announced her retirement from competition, after the 2020 Summer Paralympics were delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.