William Henry (swimmer)
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William Henry (28 June 1859 – 20 March 1928), born Joseph Nawrocki, was an English competitive swimmer and lifesaver who represented Great Britain in international competition.<ref name=CDP>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Biography
He was of Polish ancestry, and changed his original Polish surname Nawrocki to the English "Henry". He was a co-founder of the Royal Life Saving Society. As a swimmer he won a number of national and European championships. In 1906, at 46, he became the oldest ever Olympic medal winner in swimming as a member of the British men's 4×250-metre relay team which won the bronze medal. He won a gold medal in the 1900 Summer Olympics for Water Polo.<ref name=CDP/>
Henry is an International Swimming Hall of Fame inductee. He was the swimming instructor for the British royal family, using the swimming pool at the Bath Club, Dover Street.<ref name=CDP/> He helped to formalise the rules of water polo.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> With Archibald Sinclair (1866–1922), he wrote a book on swimming for the Badminton Library.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Death
He died in the St Pancras district of London, aged 68.<ref>England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: William Henry; Jan-Feb-Mar quarter 1928; Age: 67; District: Pancras; Volume: 1b; Page: 79.</ref> He was buried with his wife Elizabeth at Highgate Cemetery, with a memorial above the grave paid for by members and friends of the Royal Life Saving Society.
See also
- Great Britain men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
- List of Olympic medalists in water polo (men)
- List of Olympic champions in men's water polo
- List of men's Olympic water polo tournament goalkeepers
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
References
External links
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Template:Great Britain men's water polo squad 1900 Summer Olympics
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- 1859 births
- 1928 deaths
- Burials at Highgate Cemetery
- People from St Pancras, London
- Swimmers from the London Borough of Camden
- English male freestyle swimmers
- British male freestyle swimmers
- British male long-distance swimmers
- Olympic swimmers for Great Britain
- Water polo goalkeepers
- British male water polo players
- Olympic water polo players for Great Britain
- Swimmers at the 1900 Summer Olympics
- Swimmers at the 1906 Intercalated Games
- Water polo players at the 1900 Summer Olympics
- Medalists at the 1906 Intercalated Games
- Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain
- English people of Polish descent
- British male backstroke swimmers
- English male backstroke swimmers
- English male water polo players