Pontus Hanson

Pontus Hanson was known for his endurance and was one of the great personalities in water polo. In water polo he won medals at three consecutive Olympics – bronze in 1908 and 1920, and a silver in 1912. In 1909, he set a record for the 10 km long swimming course from the Strömbadet in Stockholm to Kungshatt Island in Lake Mälaren. For several years, Hanson was also Sweden’s best breaststroke swimmer, winning a bronze medal over 200 m at the 1908 London Olympics.

Hanson worked as a government official. He used his organizational skills and initiated the National Youth Swimming Competitions in 1905. He also held several leadership positions in his club, in the Swedish Swimming Federation and the Swedish Life Saving Society. From 1918-22 he was the manager of Strömbadet. His younger brother Sven Hanson competed at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, also in the breaststroke.