Jean Caplin

Jean Caplin was born into a seemingly wealthy German family but was fostered by a couple in Brighton in the mid-1930s, as her mother was unmarried. She started swimming at the age of seven, but at the same time experienced a period of tumult in her youth when she was taken to live with her birth mother (whom she garnered “no natural affection” towards), who had recently married a man named Caplin. Returning to her foster family, the Taylors, at age 11, she saw great success in swimming over the next four years, and essentially had the world at her feet. Six years later, that world fell about when she was sent to prison following a theft charge. Just a few months before her 16th birthday, Caplin won the 1946 ASA 200 yards breaststroke title. She had another podium finish in 1947, and in 1948 took part in the London Olympics, reaching the 200 metres breaststroke semi-final. She finished third in the ASA 200 in 1949, and also won the Southern Counties 100 in 1949 and 1950, but then suffered a downturn of form, particularly in 1951 when she started suffering from mental health issues. She took part in the 1952 Olympic qualifiers but was not selected. However, she did go to the Helsinki Games, as a spectator, and made her own way there by hitchhiking from France.

When Caplin returned, she had no money or employment, and turned to petty theft, which was ironic because she once turned down a massive £300-a-week to do stunt swimming for a film company, so as to preserve her amateur status. In December 1952, she was sentenced to two six month prison terms, to run consecutively, on 13 counts of theft. She served only three weeks before the sentence was commuted on appeal, to two years’ probation, but with the stipulation she spent 12 months in hospital for specialist treatment. Upon her release she resided in Richmond, Surrey and later became involved with swimming once again in the late 1980s, competing in the Sussex Masters Championships. She donated the Jean Caplin Cup to her former club, Brighton Dolphin, which is presented each year to the most improved breaststroker. In her later years, Caplin continued to keep in touch with her contemporaries, attending a 2012 reunion of athletes who competed at the 1948 London Olympics. She continued to reside in Richmond until her health began to decline, and died from cancer in 2014.