Roger Roberts

Roger Roberts was runner-up in the boys 10-12 age group butterfly event at the Middlesex County Championships in 1960. After switching to the breaststroke, Roberts soon established himself and, after winning the 1963 ASA boys title, set a new British junior record before finishing runner up in the both the ASA 110 and 220 yards in 1964. Two years later he won his first ASA title (110) and in 1967 was the champion in both breaststroke events. That same year Roberts set a British 100 metres record of 1:11.60 at the Seven Hills Trophy meeting at Rome in June, and a couple of months later helped the British quartet win the bronze medal in the 4×100 medley relay at the World Student Ganes (Summer Universiade) at Tokyo.

Runner-up in the ASA 110 again in 1968, Roberts got called up for the Olympics, and shortly before the Games became the first Briton under 1:10 for the 100 yards breaststroke with a 1:09.9, a record that stood for three years. Unfortunately, Roberts failed to progress beyond the first round in both the individual events and medley relay in Mexico.