Frederick Lane

Frederick Claude Vivian Lane, known as Fred Lane, was an Australian swimmer born on 2 February 1880 who died on 14 May 1969. Raised in Manly, New South Wales, he learned to swim after his brother rescued him from drowning in Sydney Harbour at the age of four. After breaking many Australasian records he moved to England in 1899 and swam for the Blackpool Swimming Club. At the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris he won two gold medals, in the 200 metre freestyle and in the discontinued 200 metre obstacle event. Because he represented a British club, the International Olympic Committee credits his medals to Great Britain. In 1902 he became the first person to swim 100 yards in one minute, and his 220 yard time of 2 minutes 28.6 seconds was ratified decades later as the first world record for 200 metres. He later worked as a master printer in Sydney and was honoured by the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.