Bob McGregor
{{short description|Scottish swimmer}}
{{for|the Scottish footballer|Bob McGregor (footballer)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name = Bob McGregor
MBE
| image = Bob McGregor 1966c.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = McGregor in 1966
| fullname = Robert Bilsand McGregor
| nicknames = "Bob", "Bobby", "The Falkirk Flyer"
| strokes = Freestyle
| club = Chinook Aquatic Club
| coach =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1944|4|3|df=y}}
| birth_place = Falkirk
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = {{convert|1.85|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|80|kg|lb stlb|0|abbr=on}}
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Men's swimming}}
{{MedalCountry | {{GBR2}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games}}
{{MedalSilver | 1964 Tokyo | 100 m freestyle}}
{{MedalCompetition | European Championships }}
{{MedalGold | 1966 Utrecht | 100 m freestyle }}
{{MedalSilver | 1962 Leipzig | 4×100 m freestyle }}
{{MedalCompetition | Universiade}}
{{MedalSilver | 1967 Tokyo | 100 m freestyle}}
{{MedalCountry | {{SCO}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | British Empire and Commonwealth Games}}
{{MedalSilver | 1966 Kingston | 110 yd freestyle}}
}}
Robert Bilsand McGregor, MBE (born 3 April 1944), nicknamed the "Falkirk Flyer", is a Scottish former competitive swimmer.
Swimming career
He competed in eight events at the 1964 and 1968 Summer Olympics. He won a silver medal 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, winning a silver medal on each occasion in the 110-yard freestyle.{{cite web |url=http://www.thecgf.com/search/search.asp |title=Commonwealth Games Federation Athlete Search |accessdate=7 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116120208/http://www.thecgf.com/search/search.asp |archive-date=16 January 2010 |url-status=dead }}
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).{{cite news|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS68511006/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=2e30e826|title=From Our Swimming Correspondent. "Swimming Championships." Times, 30 Aug. 1963, p. 4|newspaper=The Times |date=30 August 1963 |page=4 |publisher=Times Digital Archive}} He also won the 1963 200 metres freestyle.{{cite news|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS67461937/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=bf72891f|title="Strong British Challenge To Australian Swimmers." Times, 17 Sept. 1962, p. 4|newspaper=The Times |date=17 September 1962 |page=4 |publisher=Times Digital Archive}}{{cite news|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS50685218/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=f983741d|title=From Our Swimming Correspondent. "World's Fastest Can Swim Faster Still." Times, 2 Sept. 1963, p. 3|newspaper=The Times |date=2 September 1963 |page=3 |publisher=Times Digital Archive}}{{cite news|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS50554648/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=15c913a9|title=From Our Swimming Correspondent. "Meagre Swimming Team For Tokyo." Times, 24 Aug. 1964, p. 3|newspaper=The Times |date=24 August 1964 |page=3 |publisher=Times Digital Archive}}{{cite news|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS101411628/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=cd8457af|title="McGregor's Record." Times, 12 Sept. 1966, p. 6|newspaper=The Times |date=12 September 1966 |page=6 |publisher=Times Digital Archive}}{{cite news|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS202206478/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=5f53932d|title="Four new caps." Times, 14 Aug. 1967, p. 12|newspaper=The Times |date=14 August 1967 |page=12 |publisher=Times Digital Archive}}
Personal life
He retired from swimming in 1968 and now works as an architect in Glasgow. He lives in Helensburgh with his wife and family. His father, David McGregor, was an Olympic water polo player.
See also
References
{{reflist|refs=
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External links
{{Commons category|Bob McGregor}}
- [http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=43641 Video of Bobby McGregor competing in 1963]
- {{Scottish Sports Hall of Fame|bob-mcgregor-mbe}}
- {{Team GB}}
- {{Olympedia}}
- {{World Aquatics|name=Robert McGregor}}
- {{Team Scotland|robert-mcgregor|Robert McGregor}}
- {{Commonwealth Games Federation||name=Robert B. McGregor}}
- {{Olympics.com profile|name=Robert Bilsand McGregor}}
{{Footer European Champions 100m Freestyle Men}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McGregor, Bob}}
Category:European Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming
Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain
Category:Olympic swimmers for Great Britain
Category:Scottish Olympic competitors
Category:Sportspeople from Falkirk
Category:Swimmers at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Category:Swimmers at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Category:Swimmers at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Category:Swimmers at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Category:Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic silver medalists in swimming
Category:Scottish male freestyle swimmers
Category:British male freestyle swimmers
Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in swimming
Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Scotland
Category:Commonwealth Games swimmers for Scotland
Category:Summer World University Games medalists in swimming
Category:FISU World University Games silver medalists for Great Britain
Category:Medalists at the 1967 Summer Universiade
Category:Medallists at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
{{Scotland-Olympic-medalist-stub}}
{{UK-swimming-Olympic-medalist-stub}}