Ethan Hussey is hoping to follow in Team England star Ben Pattison's footsteps and believes the Sir John Hanson Scholarship will give him an extra edge to pitch himself among the best in the world.

The 800m specialist claimed European U23 silver last summer in a year of transition from junior to senior ranks.

But the Leeds-born 20-year-old sets impeccably high standards for himself in a burgeoning early career and was less than impressed with his podium performance, insisting it is that exact attitude which will further his ambition on the track.

“I'm at the point in my career where it's all about the one per cent and what I can get the most out of everything that I'm trying to get,” Hussey said.

“I think the Hanson Scholarship will help me get there. It’s allowed me to pay for my coach to come on camps with me, to support him as well because he wants to be with me.

“European silver was the most frustrating race, with 100m to go I was still sixth but I got myself out of the box going into the home straight.

“I could've been closer at any point in the race, especially because it was a dip finish – I came out the wrong way with that but I didn't deserve to win it anyway.

“It's all well and good winning everything in your own age group but it means nothing unless you can do it on a senior stage.

“Whilst trying to compete and win everything on a junior level, I'm still trying to beat as many seniors as I can.”

The sport and business management student grew up with a rugby ball in his hand but picked racing on the track over the team sport.

Hussey soared to world junior bronze in 2022 and is being inspired by best mate, Commonwealth and world bronze medallist Pattison to match his medals on a senior stage.

“I picked up a dead leg as a kid, something minor, but it meant that I couldn't do either athletics or rugby for a week, I ended up picking athletics for some reason and that's how it started,” he said.

“I don't know what hooked me into athletics, I still miss playing rugby despite being one of the best athletes in the country.

“I reckon it’s probably the individual nature of athletics, you answer to yourself and you take responsibility for everything that you do.

“It's a big jump to make going from juniors to seniors, sometimes it takes people a lot longer but I managed to do it in my first year.

“Ben Pattison is one of my best mates and another person I've grown up with is Keely Hodgkinson so you're surrounded by talent everywhere you go.

“You've got to let things come naturally and trust the process as cliche as it is.”


He finds himself close to the target after missing out on a World Athletics Championships berth in Budapest by just 0.56 seconds, behind Max Burgin, Dan Rowden and Pattison at the UK Athletics Championships.

Following in the footsteps of Pattison and Hodgkinson, Hussey also dreams of one day representing Team England on the Commonwealth stage.

He is one of five young athletes chosen to receive the Sir John Hanson Scholarship, a programme designed to support the next generation of English talent as they embark on a challenging journey and assist them in fulfilling their potential on the international stage.

“It allows you to do things at a faster rate and means you don't have to spend time thinking about the financial implications around training and competing,” Hussey said.

“It's also the workshops they're doing in the background and it’s tailored to what they want.

“I’ve seen the athletes that have come through the programme that have gone on to do some great things in their career in all their respective sports.

“It's an honour to be a part of the tradition and try and keep up the success as an athlete.”