Former British Olympic and Commonwealth champion David Wilkie has handed away on the age of 70.
Wilkie, who was born in Sri Lanka in 1954 to Scottish dad and mom, received 200m breastroke gold for Nice Britain in Montreal in 1976, whereas he was equally a double gold medalist on the 1974 Commonwealth Video games in New Zealand.
Nevertheless, on Wednesday morning, his household tragically introduced that he had handed away following a battle with most cancers.
In a press release launched to the PA information company, they stated: ‘It’s with nice unhappiness that the household of David Wilkie MBE announce that he died peacefully surrounded by his household this morning, following his courageous battle with most cancers.’
Throughout his profession, the legendary Wilkie additionally received two Olympic silver medals, three world titles and two European Championship golds.
Former British Olympic and Commonwealth champion David Wilkie has handed away aged 70
Wilkie loved a embellished profession and received gold within the 200m breastroke in Montreal in 1976
Throughout his memorable efficiency in Montreal the place he was topped Olympic champion, Wilkie broke the world file by greater than three seconds – an achievement that stood for 5 years
In the meantime, Wilkie – who achieved 5 world information in his profession – stays the one individual to have held British, American, Commonwealth, European, world and Olympic swimming titles on the similar time.
Nevertheless, his embellished time within the sport ended only a month after his exploits in Montreal, with Wilkie selecting to retire on the age of twenty-two.
In 1977, he was awarded an MBE and Wilkie went on to get pleasure from a profitable calling within the enterprise world.
Wilkie (proper) broke the world file by greater than three seconds when successful Olympic gold
After retiring on the age of twenty-two, Wilkie (pictured in 2006) loved a profitable enterprise profession
This included co-founding healthcare firm, Well being Notion, in 1986, with this subsequently offered for £7.8million to William Ransom and Son plc in 2004, whereas he additionally co-founded Pet’s Kitchen in 2009.
In the meantime, the Scot was reported to be the primary swimmer to ever put on a head-cap and goggles in competitors, though Wilkie claimed the goggles had been used to nullify his chlorine allergy, whereas the cap saved his lengthy hair out of the way in which.
He met his spouse Helen in 1985 they usually had two youngsters collectively, Natasha and Adam.
