Graham Symonds
{{Short description|English swimmer (1937ā2006)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| birth_date = {{birth date|1936|3|21|df=y}}
| birth_place = Coventry, Great Britain
| death_date = {{death date and age|2006|6|2|1936|3|21|df=y}}
| death_place = Essex, Great Britain
| sport=
| club =
| medaltemplates=
{{MedalSport | Swimming}}
{{MedalCountry | {{ENG}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|British Empire & Commonwealth Games}}
{{MedalSilver| 1958 Cardiff|220y butterfly}}
{{MedalBronze| 1958 Cardiff|medley relay}}
{{MedalCountry | {{UK}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|European Championships}}
{{MedalBronze| 1958 Budapest | 200 m butterfly}}
}}
Graham Henry Symonds (21 March 1937 ā 2 June 2006) was an English swimmer.
Swimming career
He represented Great Britain in the Olympics and European championships. Symonds won a bronze medal in the 200 m butterfly at the 1958 European Aquatics Championships. He competed in the same event at the 1956 Summer Olympics, but did not reach the finals.
He represented England and won a silver medal in the 220 yards butterfly and a bronze medal in the medley relay at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales.{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/53289|title=Athletes and results|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=29 July 2019|archive-date=27 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211227090330/https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/53289|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/cardiff-1958/athletes|title=1958 Athletes|publisher=Team England}} He won the 1954 ASA National Championship 440 yards freestyle title {{cite web|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS51073839/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=e592d764|title="Brockway Wins 110 Yards Back-Stroke Again." Times, 15 Sept. 1954, p. 3|website=Times Digital Archive}} and the 220 yards butterfly title in 1955.{{cite web|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS218584357/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=ceb5b7c2|title="British Swimming Best Since War." Times, 5 Sept. 1955, p. 13|website=Times Digital Archive}}
Personal life
Symonds was born in Coventry and studied at the Coventry Art School. He was first coached by his father Sid Symonds, a semi-professional football player. After retiring from swimming he worked at the technical publications department of the Armstrong Siddeley's aircraft division. He then designed tractors at Massey Ferguson, worked for Chrysler Rootes, and in 1967 joined Ford. In the 1980sā90s he worked in Dearborn, Michigan, US, designing medium and large trucks, such as Ford Transit. During that time he also competed in masters swimming. He returned to UK in 1998 to assume the post of assistant director of design of small and medium Ford vehicles at Dunton Wayletts, Essex. He retired in 2002 and died in 2006 in Essex, leaving wife Ina and children Heather, Brett and Andrea and brother Robert Bruce Symonds.
See also
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Symonds, Graham}}
Category:Swimmers at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic swimmers for Great Britain
Category:English male butterfly swimmers
Category:British male butterfly swimmers
Category:Sportspeople from Coventry
Category:European Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming
Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for England
Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in swimming
Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for England
Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in swimming
Category:Swimmers at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Category:Medallists at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games