He collected Olympic silver in Munich in 1972 and won World Championship gold 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 more than 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 made an MBE in 1977.