Britain’s forgotten Olympic hero - Paulo Radmilovic remembered

Stop people in the street and ask them to name Britain’s greatest ever Olympian, and you’d probably get a handful of Sebastian Coes, a smattering of Daley Thompsons, and a whole host of Steve Redgraves.

Indeed, rowing legend Redgrave’s five golds across five separate games were earned through herculean feats of power, stamina and will.

But when Redgrave withstood a spirited Italian challenge in Sydney in 2000 to secure that fifth gold, few people would have been thinking of the man whose record he had just eclipsed – indeed, not many would have known his name.

And even fewer would know he hailed from Weston.

Postcard of 1907 presenting Paul Radmilovic. Born in Cardiff, Walles, Radmilovic was the third son of Antun Radmilovic, a Croat from Dubrovnik, who relocated to Cardiff in 1860s. His mother was born in Cardiff, the daughter of Irish immigrants. Radmilovic competed for Britain in the Olympic Games a record six times and captained the Water Polo team four times. Source: Supplement to ˜The 1908 Olympic Games, the Great Stadium and the Marathon by Bob Wilcock (marathon@societyofolympiccollectors.org). (Image: Archant)

Yet Paulo Radmilovic fully deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Coe, Thompson and Redgrave in discussions about Britain’s best.

After all, he represented our nation – and town – with distinction at five Olympic Games either side of World War One, winning four gold medals.

In fact, had the 1916 Berlin Games not been scrapped because of the conflict, it's entirely possible ‘Raddy’ would have claimed a fifth gold of his own and guaranteed his own place alongside Redgrave in the record books.

Welsh Water Polo team vs Ireland, 1905. The international water polo match was played at Penarth, near Cardiff, and Wales won 7-1. Back row: Councillor R. G. Solomon (President); A. G. Oliver (Cardiff); M. A. Ferguson (Penarth); N. E. Copock (Cardiff); F. S. Moon (YMCA Cardiff). Front row: P. Radmilovic (Cardiff); R. J. Herbert, Capt. (Newport); E. Jonns (Penarth). (Image: Picture: Mike Coles' collection)

Born in Wales in 1886 to parents of Croat and Irish descent, Paulo discovered an aptitude for water sports early in life.

First selected for the Welsh national water polo side at the tender age of 15, he also earned plaudits for his versatile racing, with wins in sprint and endurance contests, both in pools and open water.

He went on to complete at five formal Olympics, and one unrecognised games, earning golds in water polo and relay swimming, and could have extended that record further if Britain had sent a team to the 1904 Games or the 1916 contest had gone ahead.

Alongside his international achievements, Raddy claimed English and Welsh titles and records galore in a remarkable competitive career spanning 20 years.

Mike Coles, former chairman of Weston Swimming Club and chief coach of the town’s water polo team, has explored Radmilovic’s history in detail.

Paulo Radmilovic in 1903. (Image: Mike Coles' collection)

He said: “Raddy has a claim to being Britain’s finest all-round aquatic Olympian.

“Certainly the Americans think so, as he was the first British swimmer to be recognised by the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1967.

“He was the second water polo player (after American Wallace O’Connor) and the third Briton (after coach Matthew Mann and English Channel swimmer Captain Matthew Webb) to be inducted.”

Indeed Raddy’s citation said: “The British invented water polo, and dominated the game for 25 years, so it is fitting that their greatest star, (Paulo) Radmilovic make the Swimming Hall of Fame.

“He symbolises water polo greatness.”

Photograph of Paulo Radmilovic with his trainer, 1907 (Image: Mike Coles' collection)

Great, perhaps, but modest also. When he returned from 1908 Olympic success to a lavish civic reception, he dodged the fanfare by hiding behind some baskets at the railway station!

Coles continued: “His water polo skills were not confined to the national arena and he was a good club player with Weston, where the team played to huge audiences.

Paulo Radmiliovic (front right) takes his place in the 1920 GB Olympic water polo side. (Image: Archant)

“Along with his 1908 Great Britain team-mate, Tommy Thould, he led Weston to wins in the English Club Championships in 1906, 1907, 1921 and 1925.

“Raddy was extremely fast and powerful, and it is reported that the best shot ever seen was at the old Alstone Baths in Cheltenham - his famous ‘clock shot’.

“He gathered up the ball in his own half with his back to the Cheltenham goal and unleashed a backhand shot of the most amazing power.

“The ball crashed into the upright at the back of the shallow end goal, sprung back to the middle of the pool, hit the edge of the bath there and rebounded into the balcony where it brought the new clock situated there down.

“It is said that Radmilovic is still the only man in GB to shoot so hard that you couldn’t see the ball.”

Paulo Radmilovic's final Olympics, in 1928 in Amsterdam, at the age of 42. (Image: Archant)

After his retirement, Raddy remained a larger-than-life character in the Weston area, and continued to be involved with his beloved water sports as a referee.

A keen golfer, boxer and snooker player, he excelled at most sports, and acted as landlord and security in protecting his new career as a publican at the Imperial.

Such was his local esteem and celebrity, when Raddy was married in Weston, horses were detached from his wedding carriage, and the newlywed couple were instead pulled through the town by local swimming club members.

Even as his years advanced, Raddy – now in his 60s – would continue to take his daily quarter-mile swim, often driving to Knightstone in his dressing gown.

Raddy died just a year after his Hall of Fame induction, in 1968. He was buried in Milton Road cemetery, and a seafront bar – Raddy’s – still bears his name today.

Martin Darcy completed the mural of Paolo Radmilovic in two weeks for cafe Raddy's. (Image: Martin D'Arcy)

Back in May, the cafe unveiled a mural painted by local artist Martin D'Arcy.

"The memorial we have done on the wall is almost like a hologram it’s so spooky that Martin has called it the ghost of Raddy,” said owner Simon Channing.

"It’s just good history for the town. There’s not many celebrities you hear about in the town.

"You have got John Cleese and obviously the sadness of Jill Dando, but we haven’t had millions of people from Weston that are quite famous. Raddy is a four-gold Olympian and it’s a nice story to tell."

*A version of this story was first published in August 2012.