[1] He was a four-time national champion who represented Australia at the 1924 Summer Olympics in the stroke seat of the men's eight.
Sladden's occupation post war was listed as "Master Mariner" and he returned to competition at the Murray Bridge Rowing Club.
[8] By 1924 with South Australia continuing to dominate Australian eights rowing, their claim could not be denied and after winning a test event raced on Port Adelaide in March 1924, Sladden and the South Australian crew were selected in-toto to represent Australia as an eight at the 1924 Summer Olympics.
[10] Unlike the 1912 Olympic eight, the Murray Cods were not invited to race in lead-up at the Henley Royal Regatta and in 2000 Ted Thomas jnr a crew member's son, asserted that this was because the eight was crewed by working-class men other than Sladden[10] It's undisputed that tour funds were scarce and on arrival in France, the crew had to row their shell 60 km to their training base; that on tour a number of the crew (including Sladden) busked as musicians to raise pocket money; and that on race day they first rowed their shell 26 miles from their boatshed to the Olympic course.
[10] Their equipment was also sub-par as they rowed with their oars turning in out-rigged poppets rather than in swivelling gates as had become the norm by 1924.