Parry O’Brien, who revolutionized shot-putting with his spinning technique and went on to break 17 world records and win three Olympic medals, died while competing at a swimming event. He was 75.
O’Brien died Saturday of a heart attack during a 500-yard (meter) freestyle race, said his wife, Terry. He became an avid swimmer after shot-putting became too hard on his joints, she said.
“He was at lap 11, getting ready to switch and he stayed at the wall,” she said. “That’s when I realized something was wrong.”
O’Brien won gold medals at the 1952 and 1956 Olympics and a silver medal in 1960. In 1964, he carried the American flag in the opening ceremony and went on to finish fourth.
He won 17 American titles in the shot-put and one in the discus throw. His longest winning streak was 116 meets. O’Brien appeared on the front of Time magazine in 1956.
He was elected to the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1974 and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1984.
He began experimenting with new shot-put techniques in 1951 while at the University of Southern California. At the time, shot-putters would stand at the rear of the 2-meter (7-foot) ring, hop, turn 90 degrees and propel the 7.3-kilo (16-pound) iron ball.
In the middle of the night after a loss in the Fresno Relays, O’Brien tried a 180-degree turn.
The idea, he later said, was that “the longer you are pushing, the farther the shot will go.” The move became known as the “O’Brien Glide.”
The experiment immediately paid off. Before 1951, O’Brien could not put the shot more than 16 3/4 meters (55 feet). From 1953 to 1966, he broke the world record 17 times, starting with 18.00 meters (59 feet, 3/4 inches) and reaching 19.28 (63-3).
O’Brien retired from competition in 1966 and went on to work in commercial banking, real estate and civil engineering. He lived in Moreno Valley, outside Palm Springs.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters, two stepsons and seven grandchildren.
There will be no services, as he requested