Paul Radmilovic

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Olympic medal record
Men's Water Polo
Gold	1908 London	Team competition
Gold	1912 Stockholm	Team competition
Gold	1920 Antwerp	Team competition
Men’s swimming
Gold	1908 London	4x200 m freestyle relay

Paulo Francesco Radmilovic (Born March 5, 1886 in Cardiff, Wales - Died September 29, 1968 in Weston-Super-Mare, England) was a British Water Polo player and Swimmer who won four Olympic titles in a 22 year Olympic career.

[edit] Personal Life

The son of a Serbian father from present-day Macedonia and an Irish mother, he competed in international Swimming and Water Polo for nearly 30 years and was still an active swimmer well into his seventies. He was also a competent golfer and footballer.

[edit] Olympic Career

His Olympic career began as a swimmer at the 1906 Intercalated Games where he finished 4th in 100 metres freestyle and 5th in the 400 metres event.

In 1908 he won a gold medal as part of the British Water Polo team that defeated Belgium 9-2 in the final. Radmilovic scored twice in the final. Two days later he was drafted into the 4x200 metre relay squad when another swimmer withdrew due to illness and swam the second leg of a dramatic race. Hungary appeared to be cruising to victory when anchor leg swimmer Zoltan Halmay began to lose consciousness in the water. Halmaj struggled to the finish but Henry Taylor had touched four seconds earlier to give the British victory. Radmilovic also competed in three individual freestyle events but failed to make a final.

He won his third career gold as part of the British Water Polo team at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. The Austrians were defeated 8-0 in the final.

Radmilovic's fourth and final gold came at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp albeit in eventful circumstances. Great Britain and Belgium had impressed in reaching the final and the game itself was a tight one decided when Radmilovic scored to put the British 3-2 ahead. On the final whistle incensed Belgian spectators attempted to attack the British players. Armed police guarded the team as they left the pool.

He competed as a member of the British team in both the 1924 and 1928 Olympic water polo tournaments without medal success. He was 42 years old when his Olympic career ended.

His record of four gold medals was unrivalled by any British Olympian until Steve Redgrave equalled and eventually broke it by winning his fifth title in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney

[edit] Swimming Career

He won his first Amateur Swimming Association title in 1907 when victorious in the open water 5 mile race in the River Thames. His noted versatility came to the fore two years later when he won the 100 yards freestyle. In all he won nine titles over a 19 year span at tremendously varying distances. His victories at the Welsh national championship took place over an ever greater timespan. A 100 yards title at the age of 15 in 1901 and a 440 yards victory at the age of 43 in 1929 book-ending his career. He was inducted in the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1967 and is also an inductee of the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame.