George Wilkinson (water polo)

George Wilkinson ( born March 3, 1879 in Gorton, England; † August 7, 1946 in Hyde, England ) was a British water polo player.

Wilkinson played until 1899 as an amateur in Manchester, but was added a year later from Manchester Osborne Swim Club, which also took him to the Olympics in 1900, but did not put him there. After winning the amateur championships in 1901, he moved a year later to Hyde Seal SC, where he played for the next 22 years, and helped the team to new championships and winning the World Championship in Paris in 1904. In addition to the gold medal in 1900, when he was not used, he still won the Olympic water polo tournaments in 1908 and 1912, where he led the team as captain. At the Olympic Games in 1920 and 1924 he took part as a reservist.

Since his childhood, Wilkinson was an avid swimmer and already he was third in the 1896 500 - yards - swimming world championship at age 17. Wilkinson is considered the first great star of water polo due to its numerous gates and its throwing techniques. After his career, he ran for many years the Wheatsheaf Hotel in Hyde.