Although a member of the Great Britain 4x200 metres freestyle relay team at the 1928 Olympics, Scotland’s Willie Burns was a non-starter. He won Scottish titles at 100, 150, 220, and 440 yards and was also the national long-distance champion, many of his titles coming in record time. He was also a regular member of the Scottish international squad in the 1930s, and won many prestigious long-distance races in his home country, including the St. Andrews Pier Swim and the Toward-to-Rothesay Swim. By profession, Burns was a Glasgow police inspector. After retiring from competitive swimming, he occasionally played water polo, and with his three sons in the 1940s, entertained audiences around Scotland with their swimming displays.
Great Britain