William Oscar Guernsey Grut was a Swedish modern pentathlete.
15 Facts About William Grut
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William Grut competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where he won the gold medal in modern pentathlon.
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William Grut was born to the architect Torben William Grut, who designed the 1912 Olympic Stadium in Stockholm, and Margit Torssell, the daughter of the Norwegian opera singer Olefine Moe.
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William Grut chose a career in the army instead, where the training was free and where he could fulfill his desire to contribute to his country's defence.
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William Grut's father had been Swedish tennis champion around the turn of the century, but Grut did not follow in his footsteps, as his natural talent was swimming.
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William Grut set a new junior record for 100 m freestyle swimming in 1928 and went on to win a series of Swedish Championships in the 200 m, 400 m and 1500 m freestyle.
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In 1936 William Grut formed part of the Swedish swimming team at the Berlin Olympic Games, where he saw the German pentathlete Gotthard Handrick win gold in Modern Pentathlon.
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In February 1948, William Grut took part in the Winter Olympic Games held in St Moritz.
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William Grut was a member of the Swedish Winter Pentathlon team, together with Claes Egnell, Gustaf Lindh and Bertil Haase.
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William Grut saw St Moritz as a "rehearsal" for the Summer Olympiads to be held the same year.
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William Grut arrived in London for the 1948 Olympic Games very well prepared.
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William Grut had an element of luck in drawing a good horse, Clarian Boy, for the riding event, and from then he went on to complete his best competition result ever.
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William Grut stopped competing after the London Olympic Games and started managing the Swedish Modern Pentathlon team instead.
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William Grut coached Lars Hall, who went on to win two Olympic Gold Medals.
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In 1960, William Grut was elected secretary general of the International Modern Pentathlon and Biathlon Union, a post he held for 24 years.