Peter Head

Essex-born Peter Head attended Leyton Grammar School before going to Downing College at Cambridge, from where he qualified as a solicitor. During his time at University, Head was three times a swimming Blue between 1955-57.

Despite never winning a senior ASA title, Head enjoyed nine podium finishes between 1951-54 in the 110, 220, and 440 yards freestyle. He was runner-up in the 220 on two occasions and the nearest he came to a title was in 1954 when he was second to Geoff Baxter, with both men recording the same time of 1:00.9. As a 17-year-old, Head attended the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, where he was eliminated in his heat of the 400 free and was a reserve to the 4x200 metres relay squad.

Head swam at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games but without medalling, and later swam in that year’s European Championships in Turin. In 1955 Head finished second in the 400 metres free at the fourth FISU (International University Sports Federation) World Student Games at San Sebastian, Spain. In December of that same year, he was one of the 24 potential British swimmers for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, but Head never made the final squad.

Head won two silver medals at the 1957 World University Games in Paris, finishing second in both the 100 and 400 metres freestyle. He retired from competitive swimming shortly afterwards and concentrated on water polo, which he had been playing since the age of ten. Head later moved to Norfolk and was a member of the Norwich Water Polo Club and was still training with them at the age of 80. In 2014 he was honoured with the presidency of the club.