John Brockway (swimmer)

William John Brockway (8 October 1928 – 26 July 2009) was a male Welsh competitive swimmer.

John Brockway

Personal information
Full name	William John Brockway
National team	Great Britain
Born	8 October 1928 Bristol, England
Died	26 July 2009 (aged 80) Newport, Wales
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Backstroke
Medal record Men's swimming Representing  Wales British Empire Games 1950 Auckland 110 yd backstroke 1954 Vancouver 110 yd backstroke Representing Great Britain European Championships (LC) 1954 Turin 100 m backstroke

Swimming career

Brockway represented Great Britain at the Olympics and European championships, and Wales at the British Empire Games, during the late 1940s and 1950s. Brockway was a backstroke specialist who served as the captain of the British swimming team at the 1952 and 1956 Olympics.[1]

He was born in Bristol, England, and died in Newport, Wales.[2]

Brockway made his Olympic debut at the 1948 Olympic Games in London, where he advanced to the final of the men's 100-metre backstroke, finishing seventh in a time of 1:09.2.[3] He swam the same event at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, and 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, but was unable to progress to the event final despite swimming faster times on each occasion.

Competing for Wales at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, New Zealand, he won the silver medal in the men's 110-yard backstroke in 1:08.0. He then went on to win the gold medal in the same event at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada, swimming a time of 1:06.5. In the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales, he finished sixth in the 110-yard backstroke, and sixth as a member of the Welsh men's team in the 4×110-yard medley relay.

At the ASA National British Championships he won the 110 yards backstroke title seven times (1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955).[4][5][6][7][8][9]

Personal life

Following his swimming career, Brockway became an engineer at steelworks in the Newport area of South Wales.[2]

See also

• List of Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming (men)

References

1. "John Brockway, Olympic swimmer". Swim Wales. 31 July 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
2. "Former British Olympic captain dies". Inside the Games. 30 July 2009. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
3. "John Brockway". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
4. ""Swimming Championships." Times, 10 July 1948, p. 2". Times Digital Archive.
5. ""Swimming." Times, 25 July 1949, p. 6". Times Digital Archive.
6. ""Swimming." Times, 31 July 1950, p. 7". Times Digital Archive.
7. ""Swimming." Times, 27 Aug. 1951, p. 8". Times Digital Archive.
8. ""Brockway Wins 110 Yards Back-Stroke Again." Times, 15 Sept. 1954, p. 3". Times Digital Archive.
9. ""McKechnie Wins First Title." Times, 31 Aug. 1955, p. 3". Times Digital Archive.

External links

• British Olympic Association athlete profile