Tony Summers
Churchstoke, Powys | |
| Sport | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Swimming |
| Strokes | Backstroke |
| Club | City of Newport Swimming & Waterpolo Club |
Tony Phillip Summers (3 January 1924 – 21 November 2013) was a British competition swimmer and Olympian. He was born in Newport, South Wales, the son of Edwin Charles Summers. His grandfather was the bonesetter A. E. Kennard.
From an early age he was a well-known figure in Newport Swimming Club, becoming known as Tony the Diver and featuring in a 1930 British Pathè film.[1] During World War II, Summers joined 136 Squadron RAF in 1944 (later 152 Squadron) and flew Spitfires and Tempests in India and the Far East. On his release from the RAF in 1947, Summers started training for the London Olympics of 1948. He had originally aimed to swim in the Olympics of 1940 and 1944, but war had intervened. He represented Great Britain for Men's 100 Metre Backstroke, where his heat was won by the eventual gold medallist, Allen Stack.
Summers worked as an engineer for the
References
- ^ "The Diver". 10 October 1930.
- ^ "Shropshire Star". 26 November 2013.
- ^ "Swim Wales". 27 November 2013. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014.