Comments on: Tribute: When David Wilkie Wowed the World in 200 Breaststroke at 1976 Olympics

By: Dr Bruce Lawrie

Dr Bruce Lawrie — Thu, 23 May 2024 04:17:48 +0000

R.I.P. David.

By: Honest swim fan

Honest swim fan — Wed, 22 May 2024 20:33:53 +0000

In reply to Mike Barrowman. Aw. What do you know about breaststroke, anyway, Mike. lol. You were both fabulous to watch.

By: Maggie

Maggie — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 17:03:10 +0000

On scottish team with DW Prague

By: Glen Robert Christiansen

Glen Robert Christiansen — Sat, 29 Apr 2023 13:18:34 +0000

my role model

By: WAYNE McCauley

WAYNE McCauley — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 18:41:46 +0000

David was an amazing swimmer. To go so fast at that era. But he had a poor start, often piking with feet and head hitting before his body. If he had a Lundquist start, he would have cut one second. Today’s swimmers would say he swam in a drag suit, not really but a modern suit over 200 meters perhaps one second. But if he could have swam using today’s rules, perhaps 4 seconds. Using the monetary incentives of today and modern dietary and training techniques perhaps another 2-3 seconds. And last but most important he was a Scot.

By: Robert Macartney

Robert Macartney — Thu, 12 May 2022 16:19:11 +0000

My first thought was to remember that Wilkie’s head had to stay above water except on the turns and those turns got no dolphin kick coming off the wall. If he had been allowed those two things, who knows…

By: rob davis

rob davis — Tue, 10 May 2022 15:10:31 +0000

That 200m breaststroke was one heck of an amazing race !

By: Guesswholaddie

Guesswholaddie — Sun, 08 May 2022 03:39:29 +0000

In reply to Ian Milne. Unless you swam it?

By: Ian Milne

Ian Milne — Sat, 07 May 2022 18:26:49 +0000

David was world record holder on the 200 IM in 1976 – unfortunately that event was dropped from the Olympics programme that year; otherwise David may well have won that event too.

By: Mike Barrowman

Mike Barrowman — Sat, 07 May 2022 14:40:41 +0000

I watched those Olympics as a young child, and remembered the US almost winning every men’s event. And I remembered this utterly stunning 200M breaststroke as being the event that spoiled the perfect sweep.

10 years later my new coach, Jozsef Nagy, educated me on just how phenomenal that swim and swimmer were. The story became an inspiration to me in the same event.

Grateful to SW to bringing the story to life here; I had no idea about the head games between Don & Haller, but I love it!