Linda Ludgrove

Linda Ludgrove started competitive swimming at the age of nine at St. James´ Ladies Swimming Club, Dulwich. She was coached by her father Bill, who was also the manager of a swimming baths in Camberwell Green, London. From the age of 10, Ludgrove started breaking records, which was something she did through her career as she became one of the world´s finest backstroke swimmers. Ludgrove broke the world 110 yards backstroke record in 1962, the same year that she also broke the first of seven British 110 yards records. Between 1962-66 she also broke the British 220 record five times.

The first of Ludgrove´s seven individual ASA titles was also in 1962 when she crowned a memorable season by winning both the individual backstroke gold medals at the Perth, Australia, British Empire and Commonwealth Games, and a bronze medal in the 4x110 yards medley relay. On top of her Commonwealth success, Ludgrove won bronze in the 4x100 metres medley relay at the Leipzig European Championships. Four years later, Ludgrove retained her individual titles at the Kingston, Jamaica, Commonwealth Games, and made it a hat-trick of gold with the medley relay team when she, along with Diana Harris, Judy Gegan, and Pauline Sillett, beat the two-year-old world record with 4:40.6. At the 1966 Utrecht Europeans, she won another relay bronze and also took silver in the individual 100 metres.

In between her Commonwealth and European successes, Ludgrove went to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, but they would be Games that left her with disappointment and bitterness. Ludgrove could only finish sixth in 100 metres backstroke but was in with a chance of a medal after helping the 4x100 medley relay team reach the final. On the eve of the final, however, Ludgrove was dropped from the team in favour of Jill Norfolk. The British media called it a disastrous mistake and they were right, as Britain could only finish fifth. The ASA initially said Ludgrove was dropped for disciplinary reasons but then changed their statement to say they wanted to pick the best team, but Norfolk had finished in last place, two seconds behind Ludgrove, in the individual final!

In addition to winning four 110 yards and five 220 yards ASA titles, Ludgrove was also a member of the Beckenham Ladies quartet that won the ASA medley team title four years in succession between 1964-67. One month before her 20th birthday in 1967, Ludgrove announced her retirement.

In 1968, dog groomer Ludgrove married American international butterfly swimmer John Collins. They lived in New York for more than 10 years where she taught swimming at a local school. After her marriage broke down, Ludgrove returned to Britain in 1980 and set up home in the Isle of Sheppey and worked as a lifeguard at Sheerness Pool where she met second husband, stevedore Paul Lillo. They married in 1982, and shortly after giving birth to her third child Linda got back into competitive swimming in Masters events. Ludgrove and her husband later ran a smallholding.

Ludgrove was the 1966 British Sportswriters Sportswoman of the Year and was runner-up to the England FIFA World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore in that year´s BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. After more than 60 years of wondering, Ludgrove never found out the truth behind the ASA´s decision to drop her in 1964 as she remained disappointed, feeling that the only reason was that her “face did not fit.” It was a decision that probably cost her an OBE or MBE, which she regards as the biggest regret of her life.