William Grut

Who was William Grut?

William Oscar Guernsey Grut was a Swedish modern pentathlete and Olympic champion. He competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where he won the gold medal in modern pentathlon.

He was several times Swedish swimming champion. He received the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal in 1948.

His father was the architect Torben Andreas Grut and his mother, born Margit Torssell, was the daughter of the Norwegian opera singer Olefine Moe.

Grut qualified as a student in May 1932, the same year his father lost everything as a consequence of the Krueger crash. Grut's first choice would have been to study medicine, and he had gained a place at Pembroke College, Cambridge, but that dream ended with the stock market crash. 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.

His 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. Grut set a new junior record for 100 m freestyle swimming in 1928 and went on to win a series of Swedish Championships in 200 m, 400 m and 1500 m freestyle.