Swimming · 1976 · Montreal, Canada
Wilkie Ends Britain's 68-Year Wait
A Scottish swimmer trained in the United States takes more than three seconds off the 200m breaststroke world record, and gives Britain its first male Olympic swimming gold in 68 years.
2:15.11 (world record)
Time
68 years
British men's swimming gold gap
over 3 seconds off own WR
Margin over Hencken
David Wilkie was born in Sri Lanka and trained collegiately in the United States, and came to the 1976 Montreal Olympics as reigning world champion in the 200m breaststroke. His American rival John Hencken had already beaten him narrowly in the 100m earlier in the Games.
In the 200m final Wilkie swam close to a perfect race, taking more than three seconds off his own world record to win gold in 2:15.11, comfortably clear of Hencken in second. It was the only men's swimming gold at those Games not won by an American.
No British man had won an Olympic swimming gold since 1908, 68 years earlier. Wilkie's record stood for six more, and he spent the rest of the decade as one of Britain's biggest sporting stars, and remains among the most celebrated Scottish Olympians in any sport.
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