Martin Smith (swimmer)

Trevor Martin Smith (born 10 January 1958) is a former English competitive swimmer who represented Great Britain in two Olympic Games (Montreal 1976 & Moscow 1980), FINA world championships (1978) and European championships (1977), and swam for England in the 1978 Commonwealth Games. Smith was an Olympic bronze medallist and won six medals in major international swimming championships as a member of British or English teams. He also played American football - Place Kicker while a student-athlete at the University of Arkansas.

Martin Smith
Personal information
Full nameTrevor Martin Smith
National teamGreat Britain
Born (1960-01-10) 10 January 1960
Height1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight75 kg (165 lb; 11.8 st)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
College teamUniversity of Arkansas
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing Great Britain
Olympic Games
1980 Moscow 4×100 m medley relay
World Championships (LC)
1978 Berlin 4×100 m medley relay
European Championships (LC)
1977 Jönköping 4×100 m medley relay
Representing  England
Commonwealth Games
1978 Edmonton 4×100 m medley
1978 Edmonton 4×100 m freestyle
1978 Edmonton 4×200 m freestyle

Swimming

Smith represented Great Britain at the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Games. He was part of the bronze medal winning team in the men's 4×100-metre medley relay alongside teammates Gary Abraham, Duncan Goodhew and David Lowe. Smith also represented Great Britain winning a bronze medal at the 1978 World championships (Berlin) and a bronze medal at the 1977 European Championships in Sweden. He represented England and won a silver medal in the 4×100 metres medley relay and two bronze medals in the freestyle relays, at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.[1][2] He is also a two times winner of the ASA National Championship 100 metres freestyle (1977 and 1980).[3][4]

Smith joined the swimming team at the University of Arkansas where he became a 3 time All American, and later becoming their head coach until the team was discontinued in 1996.[5][6] That same year, he was inducted into the Arkansas Swimming Hall of Fame. In 2019, Smith was inducted into the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor for his achievements as a Razorback swimmer and football player. [7]

American football

After his collegiate swimming eligibility was exhausted, Smith walked on to the Arkansas Razorbacks football team at the University of Arkansas. A barefoot placekicker, he was successful on 22 of 22 point after touchdown attempts and 5 of 7 field goals in the 1982 campaign, his only season.[8] He was locked in a kicking competition at the beginning of the season, finally satisfying head coach Lou Holtz. Smith played in the 1982 Bluebonnet Bowl, where he kicked four extra points in Arkansas' 28-to-24 victory over the Florida Gators.[9]

Family

Smith is from a sporting family. His brother Neil Smith was an international water polo player and freestyle skier representing England and Great Britain on the Under 21 years teams, Great Britain at the World Life Saving Championships in Berlin in 1978, and British Police and England in the 1974 European Wrestling championships where he won a bronze medal.

More recently Neil competed in the 2018 Abruzzo over 60's downhill ski skittles championships where he successfully knocked down 17 people including an old Italian lady, and a lady on her first black slope.

See also

References
  1. "1978 Athletes". Team England.
  2. "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation.
  3. Martin also represented both junior and senior British water polo teams. u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=e3149a8c ""Swimming." Times, 25 July 1977, p. 6" Check |url= value (help). Times Digital Archive.
  4. "Hennessy, John. "Swimming." Times, 27 May 1980, p. 11". Times Digital Archive.
  5. Henry, Orville; Bailey, Jim (1996-01-01). The Razorbacks: A Story of Arkansas Football. University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 9781557284303.
  6. "TRANSACTIONS". The New York Times. 1996-04-03. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  7. "Arkansas Swimming : Hall of Fame". www.teamunify.com. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  8. "Arkansas 1964 National Championship" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  9. Henry, Orville; Bailey, Jim (1996-01-01). The Razorbacks: A Story of Arkansas Football. University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 9781557284303.
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