William Grut facts for kids
At the London Olympic Games 1948
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| Personal information | |||||||||||
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| Born | 17 September 1914 Stockholm, Sweden |
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| Died | 20 November 2012 (aged 98) Östersund, Sweden |
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| Sport | |||||||||||
| Sport | Modern pentathlon | ||||||||||
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Medal record
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William Oscar Guernsey Grut (born September 17, 1914 – died November 20, 2012) was a Swedish athlete. He was famous for competing in the Modern pentathlon. William Grut won a gold medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. He was also a champion swimmer in Sweden and received a special award called the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal in 1948.
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Early Life and Big Choices
William Grut was born in Stockholm, Sweden. His father, Torben Grut, was an architect who designed the 1912 Olympic Stadium in Stockholm. His mother, Margit Torssell, was the daughter of a famous opera singer.
In 1932, William finished school. Around that time, his family faced financial difficulties. This meant he could not go to Cambridge University to study medicine, which was his dream. Instead, William chose to join the army. Training in the army was free, and he felt it was a way to help his country.
A Talented Swimmer
William's father was a tennis champion, but William's natural talent was swimming. In 1928, he set a new junior record for 100-meter freestyle swimming. He then won many Swedish Championships in longer freestyle races.
In 1936, William was part of the Swedish swimming team at the Berlin Olympic Games. There, he saw a German athlete win gold in Modern Pentathlon. Before this, Swedish athletes had won all the Modern Pentathlon gold medals at the Olympics.
Training for Modern Pentathlon
Modern Pentathlon is a sport with five different events. These are cross-country running, horse riding, swimming, fencing, and shooting. As a captain in the Swedish Artillery, William had many chances to train. He made sure to practice every day. He would run, ride horses, and swim daily. He also fenced three times a week and practiced shooting during his lunch breaks.
Olympic Success
In February 1948, William Grut took part in the Winter Olympic Games in St. Moritz. He was on the Swedish Winter Pentathlon team. This was an exhibition event with downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, shooting, fencing, and riding. William won a silver medal in this event. He saw it as good practice for the Summer Olympics later that year.
William arrived in London for the 1948 Summer Olympics feeling very ready. The Modern Pentathlon event was held in Aldershot. William had some luck when he got a good horse named Clarian Boy for the riding event. He then had his best competition ever. In those days, the lower your score, the better. William's final score was 16, which was a record. He won the Olympic Gold medal in Modern Pentathlon.
Sweden won 17 Olympic Gold Medals in London that year. William Grut was given the important "Svenska Dagbladet Achievement Award" for his success.
After Competing
After the London Olympics, William Grut stopped competing. He started managing the Swedish Modern Pentathlon team instead. He coached Lars Hall, who went on to win two Olympic Gold Medals in 1952 and 1956.
In 1960, William became the secretary general of the International Modern Pentathlon and Biathlon Union. He held this job for 24 years. The same year, he was the flag bearer for Sweden at the 1960 Summer Olympics. In his free time, William started playing golf. He enjoyed it very much throughout his life.
William's sports teacher once told his students to "pursue sports until the day you die, but do not let sports be the death of you." William remembered this advice and lived by it his whole life.
Images for kids
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William Grut at the 1948 London Olympic Games.
