Louis Handley

Louis de Breda Handley ( born February 14, 1874 in Rome, Italy, † December 28, 1956 in New York City ) was an American swimmer and water polo player.

Handley was born in Italy and moved the age of 22 in the United States, where he worked as a businessman and importer. He joined the New York Athletic Club, where his athletic talent was recognized. At the Olympic Games in 1904 in St. Louis, he participated with his club at the water polo tournament, where he along with his teammates David Bratton, Leo Goodwin, George van Cleaf, David Hesser, Joseph Ruddy and James Steen against the U.S. team from Chicago Athletic Club 6-0 and won the gold medal fetched. He was also a member of the 4x50 - yard relay team, which also won the gold medal in freestyle.

From 1898 to 1911, the year in which he finished his water polo career, he had won up to two times the American amateur water polo championships. He remained well after the end of his career the swimming sport as a coach and journalist connected. He was the first official coach of an Olympic women's swim team. He also brought out five books on the sport of swimming.