Robert Peter Hughes (born 27 October 1947) is a British former racewalker who competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
Hughes made his Olympic debut for the United States at the 1952 Helsinki Games, where he helped the water polo team achieve a fourth-place finish, the nation's strongest result in the sport since 1932. Standing close to 6 feet 7inches (199 cm), he played as a powerful "two -meter man," a role he helped redefine through his size, strength, and mobility in the water. In addition to water polo, he was an accomplished breaststroke swimmer, setting a U.S. record of 1:11.1 in the 100-meter event in 1956.
At the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, Hughes competed in both water polo, guiding the team to a fifth-place finish, and the 200-meter breaststroke. In doing so, he became the first American since Johnny Weissmuller in 1924 to qualify in two different sports at a single Olympic Games event. His versatility earned him All-America recognition in swimming during his time at the University of Southern California, where he lettered for two years in both disciplines between 1954 and 1956.
Internationally, Hughes also claimed a bronze medal with the U.S. water polo team at the 1951 Pan American Games and followed it with a silver medal in 1955, highlighting his early success on the global stage. After retiring from competition, his contributions to aquatic sports were honored with inductions into several halls of fame, including those for USA Water Polo, USC athletics, international swimming, and California community college coaches.
Hughes finished third behind Ron Wallwork in the 2-mile walk event and finished third behind Malcolm Tolley in the 7-mile walk event at the 1967 AAA Championships and the following year finished runner-up to Arthur Jones in the 2-mile walk event at the 1968 AAA Championships At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, he represented Great Britain in the men's 20 kilometres walk competition.