Hodgson won the two longer freestyle swimming gold medals at the 1912 Olympics, the only categories in which he competed.

George Hodgson, Canada's only Olympic gold medal winner in swimming until 1984, did not stay in competition very long.

His unprecedented success was widely attributed to his innovation of the trudgen stroke, a hybrid between the front crawl and sidestroke.

During World War I, Hodgson served as a pilot in the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS).

R 184192), and then from 18 August 1918 was pilot of Porte Baby 9810 (large flying boat) at Lerwick, Shetland, while serving at Houton Seaplane Station, Orkney.