Ricky Bruch

Who was Ricky Bruch?

Björn Rickard "Ricky" Bruch was a Swedish athlete and actor.

Bruch was born in Örgryte, Gothenburg, grew up in Skåne, and was later a long-time resident of Malmö.

Bruch made his dramatic breakthrough in the mid-1960s. His main discipline was the shotput, and later the discus, as he joined the ranks of the world's greatest in the early 1970s. The highlight of his career came in 1972, when he equalled the world record of 68.40 metres at the DN games in Stockholm and, later that season, won a bronze medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.

Throughout his career, Bruch was known as being both outspoken and controversial. He readily changed his opinions on various matters, and represented around a dozen athletics teams, including his own IK Diskus. Bruch was a solid athlete, but failed to achieve the greatest success possible in major international events. Arguably, Bruch's greatest successes were Olympic bronze in 1972 along with silver and bronze at the European Championships in Athletics. Bruch equaled the world record in 1972 with a throw of 68.40 metres. His personal best remains the Swedish record and puts him ninth in the all-time performers list. As well as achieving his sporting career and his turbulent personal life, Bruch also acted in light-entertainment films, debuting in the Italian action comedy film Anche gli angeli tirano di destro and appearing in a minor role in the film version of Ronia the Robber's Daughter.