Publisher's Synopsis
"Bob Hughes...finest water polo player in U.S. history" - Peter Cutino, 1995 Bob Hughes was the gentle giant of U.S. swimming and water polo. Of all two-sport athletes of his day, he was the most feared by his opponents and idolized by his teammates. Hughes was an innovative and dominating sprinter, individual medley swimmer and breaststroke champion who developed his own unique, all underwater approach to swimming the breaststroke, winning him a World's Record in the 100yd Breaststroke. Hughes was the driving force of U.S. Water Polo teams at two Pan American Games and two Olympic Games, he was the dominent American water polo player for over a decade, and a fearsome opponent who could, on occasion, throw the ball through the goal and you with it, if you thought you could hang on to his throwing arm. Bob Hughes duplicated Johnny Wesimuller's feat of competing in two water sports at the same Olympic Games, swimming and water polo...a feat no other American swimmer has duplicated since. He was a classic waterman who was also a top surfer and diver, as well as a creative artist and builder...a true renaissance man. Johnny Weismuller and Duke Kahanamoku would have been in good company with Bob Hughes.
