Frederick Claude Vivian Lane (2 February 1880 – 14 May 1969) was an Australian

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

who competed at the

1900 Summer Olympics The 1900 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1900, link=no), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad () and also known as Paris 1900, were an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, from 1 ...

. Lane, from

Manly, New South Wales Manly is a beach-side suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is north-east of the Sydney central business district and is currently one of the three administrative centres of the local government area of ...

, was four years old when his brother saved him from drowning in Sydney Harbour, whereupon he decided to learn to swim. Later, he attended

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview Saint Ignatius' College Riverview is an Australian independent single-sex primary and secondary day and boarding school for boys, conducted in the Jesuit tradition, located in Riverview, a small suburb located on the Lane Cove River on the ...

. After breaking many Australasian swimming records, Lane moved to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

to compete in the English Championships in 1899. He was the first Australian to represent his country in swimming at the

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a multi ...

, when he competed at the

in Paris, and won two gold medals. He first won the 200 metres freestyle, clearly beating Hungarian

Zoltán Halmay Zoltán Imre Ödön Halmay de Erdőtelek (; 18 June 1881, Magasfalu – 20 May 1956, Budapest) was a Hungarian Olympic swimmer. He competed in four Olympics (1900 – 1908), winning the following medals: * 1900: silver (200 m ...

. His second final was just 45 minutes later, the discontinued 200 metre obstacle event, where he beat Austrian Otto Wahle. After the Olympics, Lane stayed in England for another two years working for a legal firm in

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and ...

while he continued to swim and break records. In July 1902, he won a 100-yard race and became the first person to record one minute dead for that distance. In August, he swam 220 yards in 2 minutes 28.6 seconds, which in 1974 was ratified by

FINA FINA (french: Fédération internationale de natation, en, International Swimming Federation, link=yes) (to be renamed as World Aquatics by ) is the international federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for administer ...

as the first World Record for 200 metres. In October, he broke the one-minute barrier for 100 yards in 59.6 seconds. On returning to Australia, Lane became a master printer and a partner in a printing and stationery firm on

Bridge Street, Sydney Bridge Street is a street in the central business district of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. Bridge Street runs for in a west–east direction with traffic flowing in both directions. It is situated in the northern portion of the centr ...

. He married in 1908. He died in 1969 at Avalon, New South Wales. In 1969, Lane was honoured by the

International Swimming Hall of Fame The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum (ISHOF) is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests and serving as the central point for the st ...

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

. On 10 December 1985, Lane was inducted into the

Sport Australia Hall of Fame The Sport Australia Hall of Fame was established on 10 December 1985 to recognise the achievements of Australian sportsmen and sportswomen. The inaugural induction included 120 members with Sir Don Bradman as the first inductee and Dawn Fraser t ...

. In 2022, he was an inaugural inductee of the Swimming Australia Hall of Fame. Manly sc

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lane, Frederick 1880 births 1969 deaths Australian male freestyle swimmers Olympic swimmers of Australia Olympic gold medalists for Australia Swimmers at the 1900 Summer Olympics People educated at Sydney Grammar School World record setters in swimming Medalists at the 1900 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists in swimming Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees

See also

References

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