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Louis Handley
Louis de Breda Handley, originally with birthname Luigi de Breda (February 14, 1874 – December 28, 1956) was an Italian-born American freestyle swimmer, water polo player, and coach who coached the Women's Swimming Association of New York and won gold medals in swimming and water polo in the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis.
Born in Rome on February 14, 1874, Handley was the son of the American sculptor Francis Montague Handley and his Italian wife. He was registered in Rome as an Italian citizen with the baptismal name of Luigi and the surname of his mother, "de Breda".
In 1896 he fled to New York and added to his name the surname of his father. He worked in a small imports firm and devoted himself to his second passion after hunting, swimming. He was also a great water polo player (his style of shooting was called "jumping salmon").
Aversatile athlete, he was the world record holder of the ‘medley race'”, which featured continuous quarter miles of walking, running, horseback riding, bicycling, rowing and swimming, in that order. His time of 16:27 4/5, defeated second-place challenger Joe Ruddy, who competed with him on the U.S. swimming and water polo teams at the 1904 Olympics.
As an exceptional Water Polo player, Handley played for the New York Athletic Club team that captured all but one AAU indoor and outdoor title between 1898 and 1911. When the former US “softball” rules which used a smaller ball were removed from water polo in 1911 in favor of international rules, Handley left water polo but continued his sporting interests as a yachtsman and field dog trainer.
In the 1904 St. Louis Olympics he won a gold medal swimming third in the 4x50 yard freestyle relay with the team of Joe Ruddy, Budd Goodwin, and Charlie Daniels with a time of 2:04.6. Handley was a member and Captain of the New York Athletic Club water polo team which won an Olympic gold medal, and consisted of David Bratton, George Van Cleaf, Leo Goodwin, Handley, David Hesser, Joe Ruddy, and James Steen. Handley also competed in the one-mile freestyle but did not finish.
In the team photo at left, Handley, who frequently served as team Captain, is shown with the New York Athletic Club water polo team in July, 1907. He is featured third from left on the bottom row holding the water polo ball and wearing the winged foot jersey of the New York Athletic Club. Coach Gus Sundstrom is standing in the center of the top row. A complete list of the 1907 team standing at the photo at left from left to right include C.D. Trubenbach, L. B. Goodwin, Coach Gus Sundstrom, J. B. Naething, and E.E. Wenk Jr., and seated; from left to right, J.A. Ruddy, Ogden M. Reed, Captain Louis De Breda Handley, and James Steen. An exceptional program, between 1898-1911, the New York AC team won all but one of the AAU Water Polo titles for indoor and outdoor competition.
Handley served as the Head Water Polo referee for the 1920 Olympics.
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Louis Handley
Louis de Breda Handley, originally with birthname Luigi de Breda (February 14, 1874 – December 28, 1956) was an Italian-born American freestyle swimmer, water polo player, and coach who coached the Women's Swimming Association of New York and won gold medals in swimming and water polo in the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis.
Born in Rome on February 14, 1874, Handley was the son of the American sculptor Francis Montague Handley and his Italian wife. He was registered in Rome as an Italian citizen with the baptismal name of Luigi and the surname of his mother, "de Breda".
In 1896 he fled to New York and added to his name the surname of his father. He worked in a small imports firm and devoted himself to his second passion after hunting, swimming. He was also a great water polo player (his style of shooting was called "jumping salmon").
Aversatile athlete, he was the world record holder of the ‘medley race'”, which featured continuous quarter miles of walking, running, horseback riding, bicycling, rowing and swimming, in that order. His time of 16:27 4/5, defeated second-place challenger Joe Ruddy, who competed with him on the U.S. swimming and water polo teams at the 1904 Olympics.
As an exceptional Water Polo player, Handley played for the New York Athletic Club team that captured all but one AAU indoor and outdoor title between 1898 and 1911. When the former US “softball” rules which used a smaller ball were removed from water polo in 1911 in favor of international rules, Handley left water polo but continued his sporting interests as a yachtsman and field dog trainer.
In the 1904 St. Louis Olympics he won a gold medal swimming third in the 4x50 yard freestyle relay with the team of Joe Ruddy, Budd Goodwin, and Charlie Daniels with a time of 2:04.6. Handley was a member and Captain of the New York Athletic Club water polo team which won an Olympic gold medal, and consisted of David Bratton, George Van Cleaf, Leo Goodwin, Handley, David Hesser, Joe Ruddy, and James Steen. Handley also competed in the one-mile freestyle but did not finish.
In the team photo at left, Handley, who frequently served as team Captain, is shown with the New York Athletic Club water polo team in July, 1907. He is featured third from left on the bottom row holding the water polo ball and wearing the winged foot jersey of the New York Athletic Club. Coach Gus Sundstrom is standing in the center of the top row. A complete list of the 1907 team standing at the photo at left from left to right include C.D. Trubenbach, L. B. Goodwin, Coach Gus Sundstrom, J. B. Naething, and E.E. Wenk Jr., and seated; from left to right, J.A. Ruddy, Ogden M. Reed, Captain Louis De Breda Handley, and James Steen. An exceptional program, between 1898-1911, the New York AC team won all but one of the AAU Water Polo titles for indoor and outdoor competition.
Handley served as the Head Water Polo referee for the 1920 Olympics.