Robert Hughes (swimmer)

Robert Hughes

Personal information
Full name	Robert Earl Hughes
Nickname	"Bob"
National team	United States
Born	(1930-12-15)December 15, 1930 Lennox, California
Died	October 11, 2012(2012-10-11) (aged 81)
Height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight	225 lb (102 kg)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Breaststroke, water polo
College team	University of Southern California
Coach	Peter Daland (USC)

Robert Earl Hughes (December 15, 1930 – October 11, 2012) was an American water polo player and breaststroke swimmer for the University of Southern California who competed in both the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics.^[1]

Hughes was born in Lennox, California in December, 1930. He attended El Camino College where he was coached by E. U. Sarri in both swimming and water polo. During his 1949-50 swimming career at El Camino, he was selected by the Junior College All America Swimming Board to receive All America honors from the Helms Athletic Foundation. He was recognized for his performances in the 50, 100, 220, and 440-yard freestyle, and the 100-yard breaststroke events.^[2]

After his time with El Camino, he served during the Korean War era with the US Coast Guard. As a member of the U.S. Coast Guard on August 27, 1952 Hughes, and other U.S. Water Polo team members assisted California channel swimmer Ray Carmassi to complete the 21-mile channel swim from Catalina Island to San Pedro, California accompanied by a flotilla of auxiliary Coast Guard Vessels manned by Coast Guard personnel. Hughes and other Water Polo members took turns swimming with Carmassi.^[3] By 1955, he served as a High School Teacher at St. Joseph High School in Alameda, California.^[4][2][5]

After attending El Camino, and serving with the U.S. Coast Guard, Hughes attended the University of Southern California (USC), where he swam for the USC Trojans swimming and diving team from 1955-56 in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition. At USC, Hughes swam for the talented Hall of Fame Coach Peter Daland who led the Trojan swim team from 1957-1992.^[4] Hughes lettered in both swimming and water polo at USC, and earned All-American honors as a swimmer in both 1955 and 1956.^[4][6]

Hughes was a member of the U.S. Olympic water polo team that finished fourth in the 1952 tournament. He played in all nine matches for the U.S. team.^[4]

Competing again four years later, he finished fifth with the American water polo team at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, where he played in five matches and scored frequently. He also competed as the only U.S. entrant in the 200-meter breaststroke, but did not advance beyond the preliminary heats and placed sixth.^[4][7]

Benefitting from his earlier training in both water polo and swimming at USC, while at the 1956 Olympics, he became the first American athlete since Johnny Weissmuller in 1924 to compete in two different Olympic sports in one year. As a swimmer, he broke the world record in the 100-meter breaststroke. Hughes played the two-meter position at the Olympics and in collegiate competition, making it far better known to the public, as the Olympics garnered a large audience and wide press coverage. The two meter position is played on offense and is also known as the Hole set or hole, which is usually in the area of the two meter (2M) marker in the center of the opposing team's goal, making it an excellent spot for scoring. Hughes's height may have been used to its best advantage in this position.^[6]

Hughes later worked as a coach, school teacher and artist, specializing as a sculptor.^[4] In 1974, he was Assistant Coach for Arroyo Grande High School, and served as an Assistant coach from 1970-74 at his alma mater, the University of Southern California.^[8][9]

In 1976, he was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in 1976 as a Charter Member.^[10][11] The recipient of many honors, Hughes was also a member of the El Camino College Hall of Fame, the California Community College Coaches Hall of Fame, the United States Swimming Hall of Fame and the USC Hall of Fame.^[4][9]

As an outstanding athlete, Hughes was an AAU All American in 1953, 1956, and 1963. He was an All Pacific 8 Conference Champion in 1954, 1955, and 1956 with the University of Southern California.^[9]

• List of multi-sport athletes
• List of University of Southern California people
• Water polo at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Men's team squads
• Water polo at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Men's team squads

• Robert Hughes at the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame
• Robert Hughes at Olympics.com
• Robert Hughes at Olympedia
• Robert Hughes' obituary^{[permanent dead link]}

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