Robert Bilsand McGregor, MBE (born 3 April 1944), nicknamed the "Falkirk Flyer", is a Scottish former competitive

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

Swimming career

He competed in eight events at the 1964 and

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport ev ...

. He won a

silver medal A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, et ...

in the 100-metre freestyle in 1964, and finished fourth in the 100-metre freestyle and 4×100-metre freestyle relay in 1968. He was a second favourite for the 1963 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. In 2002 he was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame. Olympic selectors could not believe that he trained in a 25-metre pool in Falkirk when the selectors arrived to critique him prior to the Tokyo Olympics. McGregor competed at the 1962 and

1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games The 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Kingston, Jamaica, from 4 to 13 August 1966. This was the first time that the Games had been held outside the so-called White Dominions. They were followed by the 1966 Commonwealth P ...

, winning a silver medal on each occasion in the 110-yard freestyle. He is a six times winner of the British Championship in 100 metres freestyle (1962, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1968 and 1968). In the 1963 event he set a world record in the heats (54.4 sec) and the final (54.1 sec). He also won the 1963 200 metres freestyle.

Personal life

He retired from swimming in 1968 and now works as an architect in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

. He lives in Helensburgh with his wife and family. His father, David McGregor, was an Olympic

water polo Water polo is a competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal. The team with th ...

player.

References

External links

Video of Bobby McGregor competing in 1963
1944 births Living people European Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming Members of the Order of the British Empire Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain Olympic swimmers of Great Britain Scottish Olympic medallists Sportspeople from Falkirk Swimmers at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Swimmers at the 1964 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Swimmers at the 1968 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists in swimming Scottish male swimmers Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Scotland Universiade medalists in swimming Universiade silver medalists for Great Britain Medalists at the 1967 Summer Universiade {{UK-swimming-Olympic-medalist-stub

Swimming career

Personal life

See also

References

External links