Biography.guide
Home › People › Swimmer › William Grut
Portrait of William Grut

William Grut

1914 – 2012

Swedish modern pentathlete

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About William Grut

Lived 1914 – 2012 (aged 98). William Grut was a Swedish swimmer, athletics competitor, military personnel, modern pentathlete and pentathlete.

William Oscar Guernsey Grut (17 September 1914 – 20 November 2012) Grut was a multiple Swedish swimming champion and received the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal in 1948.

Grut was born to the architect Torben Grut, who designed the 1912 Olympic Stadium in Stockholm,

Grut stopped competing after the London Olympic Games and started managing the Swedish Modern Pentathlon team instead. He coached Lars Hall, who went on to win two Olympic Gold Medals (Helsinki, 1952, and Melbourne, 1956). In 1960, Grut was elected secretary general of the International Modern Pentathlon and Biathlon Union (UIPMB), a post he held for 24 years. The same year he served as a flag bearer for Sweden at the 1960 Summer Olympics. In his spare time, Grut took up golf – his handicap never fell below 12, but golf still brought him immense pleasure in later life.

At Karlberg military academy, Grut's sports teacher had advised his young cadets to "pursue sports until the day you die, but do not let sports be the death of you" – a piece of advice Grut took to heart and abided by all his life.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Awards
Silver Olympic Order
Also known as
William Oscar Guernsey Grut

People in William Grut's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped William Grut's

Frequently asked questions

Who was William Grut?

Swedish modern pentathlete (1914–2012)

When was William Grut born?

William Grut was born on 17 September 1914 in Maria Magdalena parish.

When did William Grut die?

William Grut died on 20 November 2012 in Östersunds församling.

What was William Grut's occupation?

William Grut was a swimmer, athletics competitor, military personnel, modern pentathlete and pentathlete.

What nationality was William Grut?

William Grut was Swedish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: William Grut

· Wikidata: Q635145

· DBpedia: William Grut

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William Grut. https://biography.guide/william-grut/

MLA: "William Grut." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-grut/.

Chicago: "William Grut." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-grut/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:26 UTC