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Len Smith
	Smith in 1934
Personal information
Birth name	Leonard Smith
Born	29 July 1906; Whanganui, New Zealand
Died	14 March 1998 (aged 91); New Zealand
Occupation	Farmer
Sport
Country	New Zealand
Sport	Swimming
Club	Feilding Amateur Swimming Club
Achievements and titles
National finals	100 yd breaststroke, 1st (1939); 220 yd breaststroke, 1st (1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936)
Personal best(s)	100 yd breaststroke: 1:15.6; 220 yd breaststroke: 3:01.4

Leonard Smith (29 July 1906 – 14 March 1998) was a New Zealand swimmer who represented his country at the 1934 British Empire Games in London.

Born in Whanganui in 1906,^[1] Smith was a farmer^[2] and a member of the Feilding Amateur Swimming Club.^[3] He won nine New Zealand national breaststroke titles: the 100 yards in 1939; and the 220 yards every year from 1929 to 1936.^[4] His best winning time for the 220 yards breaststroke was 3:01.4, which he swam in breaking his own New Zealand record at the 1935 national championships at the Tepid Baths in Auckland.^[5]^[6] He also held the national 100 yards breaststroke record, with a time of 1:15.6 clocked when he won the New Zealand title for that distance in 1939.^[7]^[8]

At the 1934 British Empire Games, Smith competed in the men's 200 yards breaststroke.^[2] He finished third in his heat and did not progress.^[2] However, he reached the final of the 3 x 100 yards medley relay with teammates Noel Crump and Wiremu Whareaitu, finishing fifth.^[1]

Smith retired from competitive swimming after the 1939 season.^[9]

References

^ ^a ^b "Len Smith". New Zealand Olympic Committee. 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c Palenski, Ron; Maddaford, Terry (1983). The Games. Auckland: MOA Publications. p. 57. ISBN 0-908570-62-7.
^ "Feilding Swimming Club: annual meeting". Horowhenua Chronicle. 20 October 1932. p. 7. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
^ McLintock, A.H., ed. (1966). "Swimming – national championships". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Wellington: Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
^ "Swimming stars". New Zealand Herald. 18 February 1935. p. 11. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
^ "Swimming". Evening Post. 10 January 1938. p. 11. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
^ "Swimming champs: fast times recorded". Horowhenua Chronicle. 20 February 1939. p. 7. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
^ "Swimming records". Evening Post. 8 April 1939. p. 9. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
^ "Wanganui nominee". Evening Post. 31 January 1939. p. 16. Retrieved 26 June 2017.