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July 30 - William John Brockway (pictured), who captained Britain's swimming team at the 1956 Olympics, has died at the age of 80, it has been announced.

 

 

He died at his home in Newport on Sunday.

 

 

Brockway made his first Olympic appearance aged 19 at the 1948 London Games when he reached the final of the 100 yards backstroke.

 

He went on to represent Britain again in the 1952 and 1956 Olympics in Helsinki and Melbourne respectively, when he captained the team.

 

He failed to reach the final on either occasion.

 

In 1954, representing Wales, he won a gold medal in the 110 yards Backstroke at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver.

 

Brockway was born in Bristol in 1928 and moved with his family to the Maindee area of Newport aged five.

 

He took up swimming in Maindee swimming pool and his talent developed from there.

 

Away from the water he completed an engineering apprenticeship at Newport Technical College before starting at Lysaghts Steelworks in Newport.

 

In the 1960s he went to work at Llanwern Steelworks where he was the engineer in charge of the Cold Mill and Strip Mill until he retired in the 1980s.

 

The former Eveswell Primary School pupil was a keen a sailor and enjoyed sailing dinghies on Llandegfedd Reservoir as well as sailing his yacht around the South coast from Dartmouth.

 

He was also a talented craftsman and enjoyed making wooden furniture.

 

Brockway leaves a widow Diana, 73, three children Harry, 50, Bill, 49, and Clare, 47 and grandchildren Florence, 20 and Elsie, 18.