David Wilkie (swimmer)

David Wilkie

Personal information
Full name	David Andrew Wilkie
Nationality	British
Born	(1954-03-08) 8 March 1954 8 march Colombo, Sri Lanka
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	76 kilograms (170 lb)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Stroke(s)	Medley and breaststroke
Medal record Men's swimming Competitor for Great Britain Olympic Games Gold 1976 Montreal 200 m breaststroke Silver 1972 Munich 200 m breaststroke Silver 1976 Montreal 100 m breaststroke World Championships Gold 1973 Belgrade 200 m breaststroke Gold 1975 Cali 100 m breaststroke Gold 1975 Cali 200 m breaststroke Bronze 1973 Belgrade 200 m medley Bronze 1975 Cali 4×100 m medley European Championships Gold 1974 Vienna 200 m breaststroke Gold 1974 Vienna 200 m medley Silver 1974 Vienna 4×100 m medley Competitor for Scotland British Commonwealth Games Gold 1974 Christchurch 200 m breaststroke Gold 1974 Christchurch 200 m medley Silver 1974 Christchurch 100 m breaststroke Bronze 1970 Edinburgh 200 m breaststroke

David Andrew Wilkie MBE (born 8 March 1954) is a Scottish former swimmer, who was Olympic and Commonwealth Games champion in the 1970s. He is the only person to have held British, American, Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic swimming titles at the same time. He is a member of the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame and the International Swimmers Hall of Fame.

Biography

David Wilkie was born in Sri Lanka, the offspring of Scottish parents who were stationed in that country.

He was a pupil of Daniel Stewart's College in Edinburgh, and while a student there he joined the Warrender Baths Club, one of Scotland's most successful swimming and water polo clubs. It was there that he began to train intensively and develop his specialist stroke, the breaststroke under Frank Thomas, one of Britain's leading coaches. In 1969, Wilkie was chosen to join the elite Scottish Training Squad organised by the Scottish Amateur Swimming Association.

Wilkie broke the Bristish record for the 200 metres breastroke in an international match against Denmark in July 1970. He then won a bronze medal in front of his home crowd in the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in the 200 metre breaststroke breaking his own British record again. He wore a swim cap for that event during the commonwealth games, making him the first elite swimmer to wear one in a major competition.

In 1970 the Scottish Amateur Swimming Association awarded Wilkie the Nancy Riach Memorial Medal Award (awarded to the person who has the done the most to enhance or uphold the prestige of Scottish Swimming during the year) and the W.G. Todd Cup and Prize (Junior Swimmer of the Year). This was the first time in the Association’s history that both awards had gone to the same person in the same year. Wilkie continued to hold the Nancy Riach award every year from 1972 to 1976.

At the Scottish national long course championships in 1972, Wilkie won five events.

Wilkie's world breakthrough came when he won silver in the 200 m breaststroke at the Munich Olympics in 1972 in a European record time. He also broke the Scottish record times for the 100 metres breaststroke and the 200 metres individual medley.

In 1973 Wilkie won the World Championship| for 200 metres breaststroke in Belgrade, Yugoslavia and broke the world record.

In the 1974 Commonwealth Games, in Christchurch, New Zealand, he won a gold in the 200 metre breaststroke, a further gold in the 200 m individual medley and a silver in the 100 metre breaststroke,. Also in 1974 at the European Championships in Vienna, Austria, he won a gold in the 200 metres individual medley in a world record time. He also won gold for the 200 metres breaststroke and silver as part of the British 4x100 medley relay team.

However, it was after several years of further intensive training, while studying mass communications with a swimming scholarship at the University of Miami, that Wilkie's finest hour came. He won gold in the 200 metre breaststroke at the Montreal Olympics in 1976, in a world-record time and preventing an American Sweep of the Men's swimming gold medals. He later added a 100 metre silver medal to his collection.

David won three NCAA Championships while at Miami and was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. His swimming coach there was Dave Haller.

In 1977 he was appointed MBE and in 2002 was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame.

Since his retirement, Wilkie has remained active in the world of swimming, involved in swimming aids and technology. He was said to be the first swimmer to wear a head-cap and goggles together in competition to improve the streamline effect within the water.

Wilkie co-founded a healthcare company called Health Perception (UK) Ltd. in 1986. It was sold to William Ransom and Son plc in 2004 for £7.8 million.

External links

• International Swimming Hall of Fame - David Wilkie
• The Commonwealth Games council for Scotland - David Wilkie

Records
Preceded by Gunnar Larsson	Men's 200 metre individual medley world record holder (long course) 24 August 1974 – 23 August 1975	Succeeded by Graham Smith

David Andrew Wilkie