Brian Oldfield, Olympic Shot Putter from Elgin, Dies at 71

ELGIN, IL - Remembered by friends as a "gentle giant," Brian Oldfield, an Olympic shot putter who popularized the rotational style of shot-putting, has died at the age of 71 in his hometown of Elgin.

The Elgin High School graduate, who was 6-feet 5-inches tall and weighed 245 pounds, placed sixth in the shot put in the 1972 Olympics and also once held the U.S. record in shot put with a throw of 72 feet, 9 inches, the Daily Herald reports. Oldfield would have set world records in the 1970s, following the Olympics, but his throws didn't go into the books because he was competing as a professional for the International Track Association. Oldfield threw 75 feet in 1975 to set the unofficial world record.

Oldfield attended Middle Tennessee State University where he also set shot put records, according to the Daily News Journal. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated and also competed in "The World's Strongest Man" and "The Superstars" competitions where he holds several American and World titles.

Oldfield also dabbled with boxing and wrestling during his prolific career. He once sparred with Muhammad Ali and trained as a professional wrestler under the legendary Verne Gagne.

In a 2007 interview posted on YouTube, Oldfield said he got his start in shot put while attending the Elgin's YMCA summer camp in Wisconsin when he was 10 years old. He said there was a track and field day where Oldfield signed up for everything from the steeplechase, high jump, 100-yard dash to the shot put. He said he won the shot put.

One of the highlights from his career, was winning the state championship in the shot put for Elgin High School, he said in the 2007 interview. He placed fourth in the shot at state in 1962 and won the title in 1963.

He credits coaches allowing him to use his own intuition, and "leaving him to his own devices," to figure out his spin technique for throwing the shot put, which lead to his success. He said initially coaches taught him to "throw a shot put like how they learned to throw darts," Oldfield said. And it wasn't working for him.

"I always had a good arm ... And I was left alone enough to where I could just learn to throw the damn thing," Oldfield said.

Oldfield died Sunday in Elgin. His health had been on the decline in recent years after suffering sports-related injuries over the years and undergoing many surgeries that made it hard for him to walk, the Daily Herald reports.

"He was one of a kind and he lived life large," Lori Grimes, Oldfield's sister, told the Daily News Journal. "He loved the sport (shot put) and relived all of his achievements every day."

More via the Daily Herald, the Daily News Journal and The Oldfield Spin/www.brianoldfield.com