George Webster

An outstanding backstroke swimmer both before and after World War I, George Webster enjoyed a podium finish in nine of the 11 ASA 150 yards backstroke championship races contested between 1909-24, with victories in the three years immediately prior to the War, 1912-14. His other podium finishes were second in 1901, 1920-22, and third in 1910 and 1924. A mechanic for a firm of machine tool makers, Webster originally swam for Sowerby Bride SC before a move to Sheffield in the early-1920s to become landlord of the Midland Hotel at Spital Hill from 1923-29. He joined the Brightside SC and continued to win local backstroke titles and play water polo for Sheffield. After his spell as a pub landlord, he reverted back to working as an engineer.

Webster competed in two Olympics, both times in the 100 metres backstroke. He reached the semi-final in 1912 and missed out on qualifying for the final by one place after finishing fourth in his heat in 1920. He set many British backstroke records and, between 21 December 1911 and 5 July 1913, broke the European 400 metres backstroke record three times, reducing it from 6:38.8 to 6:18.6. He also broke what he thought were two world records, but neither was ratified because better times had already been recorded.