William M Sladden
William Melville Sladden (13 November 1882 – 12 November 1961)
Murray Bridge Rowing Club (SA)
1913 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship stroke – First
1914 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship stroke – Second
1920 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship stroke – First
1922 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship six seat – First
1923 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship six seat – First
1924 – Olympic Games – Men’s Eight stroke – eliminated in repechage
The Murray Bridge crew after winning the Olympic test race in 1924 on the Port River in Adelaide
Standing left to right - Unknown, H E Wynne, J P Marcus, F Willoughby, W Christopher, R H Wallman (Chairman SARA), His Excellency Sir Tom Bridges, E Higgs, H L Binney, C A Jepp, C A M West (Hon Sec SARA), S A Johnson, far right unknown
Crew members are from left to right, A C Tauber, E D Thomas, W E H Jarvis, R A Cummings, F M Cummings, H E Graetz, W M Sladden, A V Scott, W H Pfeiffer, G E Tucker (emergency), Aud Martin
Sladden was the oldest member of the 1924 Olympic crew, being 41 years old at the time. This was an age at which no sportsman would actively continue sport at that time. The Herald on 11th July 1924 described the crew as middle-aged men. However the correspondent had the good grace to add that the crew was as hard as nails and that anyone who beat them would deserve the title of champion.
Sladden retired after the Games in 1924. He was a master Mariner.
Andrew Guerin
April 2020