Tony Jarvis

Despite an outstanding domestic career that saw Tony Jarvis win three senior ASA titles, he never won on the international stage despite collecting a total of seven medals at Commonwealth and World Student Games. (Summer Universiade). Jarvis started swimming as an 11-year-old with his hometown club Bournemouth Dolphins but showed his true potential after moving to London when he was 17. He joined the Barracuda Club and later the famous Otter Club. Following a successful junior career, Jarvis, who made his senior Great Britain début against the Netherlands in 1965, finished third in the ASA 110 yards freestyle in 1966 and the following year was the 220 champion. He followed that in 1968 by winning both the 220 and 440 titles.

As a dual ASA champion, Jarvis was selected for the Mexico City Olympics. He was captain of the GB men’s team but, despite competing in four events, the nearest he came to a medal was in finishing fourth with the 4x100 freestyle relay squad along with Bobby McGregor, Mike Turner, and David Hembrow. Jarvis did, however, collect four freestyle relay bronze medals at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games, two each in 1966 and 1970.

Jarvis, who went to London University, enjoyed success at the World Student Games (Summer Universiade), winning two relay silver medals at Tokyo in 1967, when he also won the 400 metres freestyle bronze medal. Three years later at Torino (despite being banned from the Great Britain team, see below), he added two more bronzes with the relay squads. In 1967 Jarvis knocked ten seconds off [Ian Black’s] 400 metres freestyle British record that had stood since the Rome Olympics. The following year he deprived Black of his 200 metres record and took the 100 record off Bobby McGregor.

In addition to his three senior ASA titles, Jarvis enjoyed seven podium finishes between 1966-70 at all the distances from 110 to 880 yards. Sadly, his third place in the 110 in 1970 signalled the end of his Great Britain career after nearly six years as an international swimmer.

Disappointed at finishing third, Jarvis walked out of the 1970 Championships and made the “V-sign” to the crowd as he left. He was subsequently dropped from the up-coming European Championships in Barcelona and was also banned from representing Great Britain internationally. This latest episode from the often-controversial Jarvis followed a South African Arms protest in front of the GB Prime Minister Ted Heath at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games. That action saw Jarvis asked to sign a a declaration saying he would “refrain from any involvement in political activity” at the Barcelona Europeans. He signed it but, as it turned out, that declaration was a wasted piece of paper.

Jarvis became a London PE teacher and in October 1970 went to Philadelphia University for two years to study for a master’s degree in physical education. He later studied sports management at the University of Massachusetts.