E. T. Jones

Known simply as “E. T.”, Evan Jones from Leeds was regarded as one of the world’s best long-distance swimmers for more than 15 years in the latter part of the 19th century. The famous Channel swimmer Matthew Webb is reported to have claimed that Jones was the fastest swimmer he had ever seen.

Jones won the mile championship on the Serpentine in 1874 and the long-distance championship over one mile and seven furlongs on the river Thames in 1876 and 1877, and in 1881 he beat Willie Beckwith of London over 500 yards at Waterloo Lake, Roundhay Park, Leeds, to be proclaimed the amateur swimming champion of Great Britain. Throughout his career, Jones won titles at distances from 500 yards to two miles. Over 50-years-of-age at the time of the 1900 Paris Olympics, Jones was, at the time a swimming instructor for the Leeds School Board and was also coach to the Leeds Dolphins SC, being appointed in 1899.

Through 2024 Jones remains the oldest Olympic swimmer. He was also the landlord of the Harp Public House in Kirkgate, Leeds. Jones’ youngest son Sid was a fancy diver and, along with his troupe of female divers and swimmers, entertained people across Britain with their shows.