Robert Howard competed in the men’s 100 metres backstroke at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, setting a new national record of 1:00.77 – the only Irish swimmer at Montreal to record a national record. This marked him as the standout performer of the four-swimmer Irish team at those Games. The IASA’s technical committee had set exacting target times for Montreal following earlier Games, and Howard’s national record achievement in the most competitive swimming event in the world at that time reflected genuine international-level ability. He was coached alongside the other Irish swimmers by team manager-coach Larry Williamson.