John Henry "Rob" Derbyshire (29 November 1878 – 25 November 1938) was an English freestyle swimmer and

water polo Water polo is a competitive sport, competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the water polo ball, ball into the oppo ...

player from Chorlton,

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

, who competed in the

1900 Summer Olympics The 1900 Summer Olympics (), 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 14 May to 28 October 1900. No opening or closin ...

(maybe),

1906 Intercalated Games The 1906 Intercalated Games or 1906 Olympic Games (), held from 22 April 1906 to 2 May 1906, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated in Athens, Kingdom of Greece. They were at the time considered to be Olympic Games and were re ...

1908 Summer Olympics The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were originally schedu ...

and

1912 Summer Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad () and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 6 July and 22 July 1912. The opening ceremony was he ...

. He and Alice Derbyshire founded swimming clubs in Hammersmith.

Life

At the

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

, Derbyshire won a bronze medal as a member of the British 4×250 metre freestyle relay team and also competed in the 100 metre freestyle and 400 metre freestyle events. Two years later, in London, he won a gold medal as a member of the British 4×200 metre freestyle relay team and was second in his heat of 100 metre freestyle and did not advance. Four years later, in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, he was third in his heat of 100 metre freestyle and did not advance. The

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...

credits him with a gold medal in

water polo at the 1900 Summer Olympics A water polo tournament was held on the Seine (near Asnières-sur-Seine, Asnières) on 11 and 12 August 1900 as part of the 1900 Summer Olympics. Eight teams from four countries, all European, entered the event, although only seven ended up play ...

, but this is incorrect as sources contemporary to the Games indicate that he was in England too soon after the tournament to have been in Paris. The Daily Telegraph, dated Saturday, August 11, 1900 reported that Derbyshire did not make the trip and was replaced by Thomas Coe, who like Derbyshire, was a member of the Osborne Swimming Club. In 1921, Derbyshire was a founding member of the Penguin Swimming Club, later becoming the Hammersmith Penguin Swimming Club through their merger with the Hammersmith Ladies Swimming Club (which was founded by his wife Alice five years before in 1916).

Legacy

In 1950, Alice Derbyshire gave a shield to the club she had co-founded in memory of her husband. It was later named the Rob Derbyshire Memorial Trophy and is awarded yearly to the person who has done best for the club. In 1976, the club he and Alice Derbyshire had created was renamed the West London Penguin Swimming and Water Polo Club. In 2005, he was posthumously inducted into 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 stu ...

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Derbyshire, John 1878 births 1938 deaths English male freestyle swimmers British male freestyle swimmers English male water polo players British male water polo players English Olympic competitors Olympic swimmers for Great Britain Swimmers at the 1906 Intercalated Games Swimmers at the 1908 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1912 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain World record setters in swimming Medalists at the 1908 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1906 Intercalated Games Olympic gold medalists in swimming Sportspeople from Chorlton-cum-Hardy

Life

Legacy

See also

References

External links