The son of a London post office sorter, Arthur Hunt was an excellent swimmer, proficient diver and international water polo player. Before the outbreak of World War I he had won many local and county swimming honours. Having finished third in the Southern Counties 100 yards and 220 yards freestyle in 1911, both races being won by Rob Derbyshire, Hunt competed in the 100 yards at the ASA Championships at Brighton that year. The following year, he came close to Olympic selection after three excellent performances in the 100 and 200 metres at the trials at Southport, Hyde and Tooting. Unfortunately he did not get on the team for the Stockholm Games.
Having played for Middlesex in the 1913 County Water Polo final, Hunt decided to concentrate more on polo after World War I. An inspector in the City of London police, he was the mainstay of their water polo team and made his international début for England in 1921. He had the honour of captaining the side against Ireland at Belfast in 1922. Hunt’s most memorable season was in 1924 when, not only did he appear at the Olympic Games, but he was also Great Britain’s flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony. A couple of months after the Games Hunt helped the City of London police team win both the London Senior Water Polo and Middlesex County Championship titles. He also played his last International that year and would then serve on the committee of the Surrey County Water Polo Association, becoming president in 1929. During World War II, Hunt was bombed out of his house and moved to Bridgewater in Somerset, where he remained for the rest for his life.
Great Britain