Bruce Wilhelm

Bruce Wilhelm excelled in multiple sports. He was a shot putter and discus thrower in high school, winning the 1963 Golden West Invitational shot put for high schoolers. He then attended Stanford, where he competed in the shot and discuss and was the 1965 Pac 10 champion in heavyweight wrestling, placing fourth in 1966 at the AAU wrestling meet in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. Wilhelm transferred to Oklahoma State where he competed in the shot put and wrestling, placing sixth in the shot put at the 1967 NCAAs. Wilhelm was fifth at the 1972 US Olympic Trials in the shot put. He was US ranked six times in the shot – 1967, 1969-73, with high rankings of 3rd in 1970 and 1973. He placed either fourth or fifth at the AAU meet each year from 1969-73.

Wilhelm turned to weightlifting, winning the AAU title in the unlimited class in 1975 and 1976. He won a silver medal in all-around at the 1975 Pan American Games, also garnering a gold in clean & jerk and bronze in snatch. After the 1976 Olympics Wilhelm turned to strong man contests and won the inaugural World’s Strongest Man event in 1977, repeating as champion in 1978. He later helped organize that event. Wilhelm also served on the Executive Board of the US Olympic Committee.