Black was BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1958 at the age of only 17, and is still to date the youngest winner of the award.

[1] He earned the BBC honour by winning three gold medals in the 400- and 1500-metre freestyle events, as well as the 200-metre butterfly, at the 1958 European Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

[1] Black qualified to represent Great Britain in three events at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.

[5] When competing for Great Britain, he would wear a MacGregor tartan dressing gown poolside.

[10][11] Black attended Aberdeen University, where he was awarded a Master of Arts and a Certificate in Education.