Ricky Bruch
Swedish discus thrower and actor
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Key Takeaways
- Björn Rickard "Ricky" Bruch ( Swedish pronunciation: [ˈbrʊɧː] ; 2 July 1946 – 30 May 2011) was a Swedish discus thrower, poet and actor.
- His main discipline was the shot put, and later the discus, as he joined the ranks of the world's greatest in the early 1970s.
- 40 metres at the Dagens Nyheter games in Stockholm and, later that season, won a bronze medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
- He readily changed his opinions on various matters, and represented around a dozen athletics teams, including his own IK Diskus.
- Arguably, Bruch's greatest successes were Olympic bronze in 1972 along with silver and bronze at the European Championships in Athletics.
Björn Rickard "Ricky" Bruch (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈbrʊɧː]; 2 July 1946 – 30 May 2011) was a Swedish discus thrower, poet and actor.
Career
Bruch was born in Örgryte, Gothenburg, grew up in Skåne, and was later a long-time resident of Malmö. His main discipline was the shot put, 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 Dagens Nyheter 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 (71.26 metres in November 1984) 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. After Bruch retired, he admitted to having used doping throughout his career. Despite this, he never tested positive during his career.
His autobiography Gladiatorns kamp (The Gladiator's Battle) was printed in 1990, and an anthology of his poetry, Själ och kropp: Dikter (Body and Soul: Poems), has also been published.
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