Henry Taylor (swimmer)

Henry Taylor

Taylor with coach at 1908 Olympics
Personal information
Full name	Henry Taylor
National team	Great Britain
Born	(1885-03-17)17 March 1885 Oldham, England
Died	28 February 1951(1951-02-28) (aged 65) Oldham, England
Height	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight	66 kg (146 lb)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle
Club	Chadderton Swim Club Hyde Seal Club
Medal record Men's swimming Representing Great Britain Olympic Games 1908 London 400 m freestyle 1908 London 1500 m freestyle 1908 London 4×200 m freestyle 1912 Stockholm 4×200 m freestyle 1920 Antwerp 4×200 m freestyle Intercalated Games 1906 Athens 1 mile freestyle 1906 Athens 400 m freestyle 1906 Athens 4×250 m freestyle

Henry Taylor (17 March 1885 – 28 February 1951) was an English competitive swimmer who represented Great Britain in four Summer Olympics between 1906 and 1920. Taylor served in the Royal Navy during the First World War, and continued to swim competitively until 1926. His fortunes declined after he retired and he died penniless. His record of three gold medals at one Olympic Games – the most by any Briton – stood for 100 years until it was equaled by cyclist Chris Hoy in 2008. Tying the medal count of American Mel Sheppard, he was the most successful athlete at the 1908 Olympics.

Henry Taylor was born in Hollinwood in Oldham, Lancashire, on 17 March 1885 to James, a coal miner, and Elizabeth Taylor. Henry's parents died when he was young and he was raised by his older brother, Bill. Taylor learned to swim in the Hollinwood Canal, and practised in any water body he could find – baths, becks, canals, lakes, etc., including the Hollinwood Canal and Alexandra Park's boating lake.Austin Rawlinson, who was Taylor's friend and later president of Amateur Swimming Association, recalled that Taylor "loved his swimming more than anything else in life". At the age of seven Taylor swam in his first race.

Bill became his coach and Henry trained in the Oldham Baths, and from 1894 in the Chadderton Baths, often on the "dirty water days" because of cheaper admission. During this time he continued to train in the canal and when he got a job at a cotton mill, he spent his lunch times swimming in the canal. At 5'5" (1.65 m) and weighing 10 stone 6 pounds (66 kg), he wore a hand-woven silk swimming costume weighing about an ounce.

Taylor came to attention after success with Chadderton Swimming Club. He was selected for the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens. Although he was not expected to win any medals he won gold in the one mile freestyle, a silver in the 400 m freestyle and a bronze in the 4×250 m freestyle. Later that year, Taylor broke the world record for 880 yards (800 m). He was an automatic selection for the 1908 Summer Olympics.