Bob Pirie

Robert C. Pirie (born 1916) was a champion Canadian swimmer from Toronto. He was unanimously selected as the Lou Marsh Trophy winner for 1939, recognizing Canada's top athlete. That year, in Hawaii, he broke the 200-metre world record long held by Johnny Weismuller and finished third in the U.S. national championships in the 100-metre and 200-metre races, with Japanese swimmers taking the top two spots in both races. At the time, he held every Canadian freestyle swimming record from 100 metres to two miles.

Earlier, Pirie won silver and bronze in freestyle events at the 1934 British Empire Games. His sister, Irene Pirie, also won individual silver and bronze freestyle medals at the same games. Four years later, at the 1938 British Empire Games, Pirie won gold in the 110-yard freestyle and the 440-yard freestyle events, and silver in the 1,650-yard freestyle race. Pirie attended and participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics 1,500 metre finals.

Pirie was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1975. The Bob Pirie Trophy is presented each year by Swim Ontario to the top male swimmer in Ontario as selected by the Ontario Swimming Coaches’ Association. The female swimmer of the year receives the Irene Pirie Trophy.