David Wilkie: Olympic champion swimmer dies aged 70

British Olympic swimming champion David Wilkie has died at the age of 70.

The Scot won 200m breaststroke gold in Montreal in 1976 as well as two Olympic silver medals and three world titles.

His family released a statement saying: “It is with great sadness that the family of David Wilkie MBE announce that he died peacefully surrounded by his family this morning, following his brave battle with cancer.”

Born in Sri Lanka to Scottish parents, Wilkie won his first major medal with a bronze at the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.

He collected Olympic silver in Munich in 1972 and won World Championship gold in the following year.

Wilkie added three more Commonwealth medals for Scotland, including two golds, in 1974.

In 1975 he completed a 100m and 200m breaststroke double at world level and was voted British Sports personality of the year.

Wilkie’s crowning moment came with an extraordinary performance in Montreal, with his Olympic triumph taking over three seconds off the world record time.

He also came second in the 100m event in Canada.

Unbeaten over 200m for four years and the first British man to win Olympic gold in the pool in 68 years, he chose to retire one month after the Games at the age of 22.

Wilkie was awarded an MBE in 1977.