Roland Nilsson (athlete)
Encyclopedia
Roland "Fritz" Nilsson is a former athlete who was a member of the Swedish Olympic teams in 1948 and 1952. He was also a member of the Michigan Wolverines men's track and field
team. He won six Big Ten Conference
championships in the shot put
and five event championships at the Penn Relays
.
in northern Sweden. His father was a factory worker, and he had four brothers and two sisters. He graduated from the Sundsvall trade school in 1944 and worked as a civilian mechanic and for the Swedish Air Force.
Nilsson was 6 feet, 6 inches tall and weighed 230 pounds. The track coach at the Sundsvall trade school, John Nyman
, had won a silver medal for Sweden in the 1936 Summer Olympics
in Berlin. Nyman later recalled that Nyman taught him how to run, jump and throw the discus. Nilsson competed for Sweden in the 1948 Summer Olympics
but did not make the finals.
Nilsson left Sweden in November 1949 and moved to Detroit, Michigan
where one of his sisters had previously relocated. Two of his brothers also joined him in Detroit. In the spring of 1950, a neighbor introduced Nilsson to the University of Michigan
's track coach, Don Canham
. Canham invited Nilsson to come to Ann Arbor
and meet Michigan's world-record holder in the shot put, Charlie Fonville
. On his visit to Ann Arbor, Canham asked Nilsson to throw the discus, and Nilsson threw it 166 feet—more than three feet better than Michigan's varsity record.
Canham invited Nilsson to attend the university and compete on Michigan's track team. Fonvilled worked with Fonville through the summer of 1950 while taking English classes to improve his language skills. After enrolling at the University of Michigan in the fall of 1950, the big Swede became the subject of extensive newspaper coverage. The Associated Press
ran a feature story on him in January 1951 in which Fonville described Nilsson's talent with the discus: "He can drop it farther than I can throw it."
Nilsson became one of the greatest track and field stars in the history of the University of Michigan. In six Big Ten indoor and outdoor championships from 1952 to 1954, Nilsson won the shot put competition all six times. Only one other Michigan track athlete, "Big Bill" Watson
, has won six Big Ten track and field championships.
Nilsson also excelled in competition at the Penn Relays
in Philadelphia. In his three years competing in the Penn Relays, Nilsson won five event championships, three in the shot put and two in the discus. He also set a Penn Relays record in the discus with a throw of 174 feet, 3-7/8 inches in 1955. Nilsson was listed on the Penn Relays
Wall of Fame in 2009.
At the 1952 Summer Olympics
in Helsinki, Nilsson finished fourth in the shot put
and seventh in the discus throw
.
Nilsson's best distances were 17.00 meters in the shot put and 54.54 meters in the discus throw.
In 2006, Nilsson was one of the inaugural inductees into the University of Michigan Track & Field Hall of Fame.
Michigan Wolverines men's track and field
The Michigan Wolverines men's track and field team is the intercollegiate men's track and field program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ....
team. He won six Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
championships in the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
and five event championships at the Penn Relays
Penn Relays
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
.
Biography
Nilsson was born in 1924 on the island of Svano in the Ångerman RiverÅngerman River
The Ångerman River is one of Sweden's longest rivers with a total length of 460 kilometers. It also has the largest amount of water running through it....
in northern Sweden. His father was a factory worker, and he had four brothers and two sisters. He graduated from the Sundsvall trade school in 1944 and worked as a civilian mechanic and for the Swedish Air Force.
Nilsson was 6 feet, 6 inches tall and weighed 230 pounds. The track coach at the Sundsvall trade school, John Nyman
John Nyman
John Nyman age 69 was a Swedish wrestler who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics.In 1936 he won the silver medal in the Greco-Roman heavyweight competition.-External links:*...
, had won a silver medal for Sweden in the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
in Berlin. Nyman later recalled that Nyman taught him how to run, jump and throw the discus. Nilsson competed for Sweden in the 1948 Summer Olympics
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
but did not make the finals.
Nilsson left Sweden in November 1949 and moved to Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
where one of his sisters had previously relocated. Two of his brothers also joined him in Detroit. In the spring of 1950, a neighbor introduced Nilsson to the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
's track coach, Don Canham
Don Canham
Donald Canham was a track and field athlete and coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the athletic director at the University of Michigan from 1968 to 1988. There, he became nationally renowned for his ability to market and sell products bearing the name or logo of the school...
. Canham invited Nilsson to come to Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
and meet Michigan's world-record holder in the shot put, Charlie Fonville
Charlie Fonville
Charles Edward Fonville was an American track and field athlete who set a world record in the shot put. In 1945, he had been named the Michigan High School Track & Field Athlete of the Year. He won the National Collegiate Athletic Association shot put championship in 1947 and 1948...
. On his visit to Ann Arbor, Canham asked Nilsson to throw the discus, and Nilsson threw it 166 feet—more than three feet better than Michigan's varsity record.
Canham invited Nilsson to attend the university and compete on Michigan's track team. Fonvilled worked with Fonville through the summer of 1950 while taking English classes to improve his language skills. After enrolling at the University of Michigan in the fall of 1950, the big Swede became the subject of extensive newspaper coverage. The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
ran a feature story on him in January 1951 in which Fonville described Nilsson's talent with the discus: "He can drop it farther than I can throw it."
Nilsson became one of the greatest track and field stars in the history of the University of Michigan. In six Big Ten indoor and outdoor championships from 1952 to 1954, Nilsson won the shot put competition all six times. Only one other Michigan track athlete, "Big Bill" Watson
William Watson (track and field athlete)
William Delouis Watson , also known as Big Bill Watson, was an American track and field athlete. Watson was the Amateur Athletic Union decathlon champion in 1940 and 1943. He was the first African-American to win the U.S...
, has won six Big Ten track and field championships.
Nilsson also excelled in competition at the Penn Relays
Penn Relays
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
in Philadelphia. In his three years competing in the Penn Relays, Nilsson won five event championships, three in the shot put and two in the discus. He also set a Penn Relays record in the discus with a throw of 174 feet, 3-7/8 inches in 1955. Nilsson was listed on the Penn Relays
Penn Relays
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
Wall of Fame in 2009.
At the 1952 Summer Olympics
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
in Helsinki, Nilsson finished fourth in the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
and seventh in the discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
.
Nilsson's best distances were 17.00 meters in the shot put and 54.54 meters in the discus throw.
In 2006, Nilsson was one of the inaugural inductees into the University of Michigan Track & Field Hall of Fame.
Competitions
- March 1952: At the Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten ConferenceThe Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
indoor track and field competition held in ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Nilsson won the shot put competition with a throw of 53 feet, 7-3/4 inches. - April 1952: At the Southern Relays in Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, AlabamaBirmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, Nilsson won the shot put competition with a throw of 53 feet, 10 inches. He also placed second in the discus throw. - April 1952: At the Penn RelaysPenn RelaysThe Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, Nilsson won the discus throw and took second place in the shot put. - May 1952: At the Big Ten outdoor track and field championships, held on Ferry FieldFerry FieldFerry Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It opened in 1906 and was home to the Michigan Wolverines football team prior to the Michigan Stadium opening in 1927. It had a capacity of 46,000....
in Ann Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
, Nilsson won the shot put competition with a throw of 54 feet, 2 inches. His discus throw of 157 feet, 1-1/4 inches placed second behind George Holm of Minnesota. - June 1952: At the NCAA outdoor track and field meet in Berkeley, CaliforniaBerkeley, CaliforniaBerkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, Nilsson finished third in the shot put with a throw of 53 feet, 3-3/4 inches. - July 1952: At the 1952 Summer Olympics1952 Summer OlympicsThe 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
in HelsinkiHelsinkiHelsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Nilsson competed for Sweden and finished fifth in the shot put with a distance of 16.33 meters. Parry O'BrienParry O'BrienWilliam Parry O'Brien, Jr. was an American shot put champion. Born in Santa Monica, California, he competed in four consecutive Summer Olympics where he won two gold medals and one silver medal . In his last Olympic competition he placed fourth. For this, he is inducted in the U.S...
of the United States won the gold medal with a new Olympic record of 17.41 meters. He also finished seventh in the discus throw. - August 1952: At the international track and field meet in Gothenberg, Sweden, Nilsson finished second in the shot put with a throw of 15.76 meters (51 feet, 8.28 inches).
- March 1953: At the Big Ten indoor track and field championships in Champaign, IllinoisChampaign, IllinoisChampaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
, Nilsson won the shot put competition with a throw of 53 feet, 11 inches. - April 1953: At the Penn Relays, Nilsson won the championships in both the discus (154 feet, 3-7/8 inches) and shot put.
- May 1953: At the Big Ten outdoor track and field championships in Champaign, IllinoisChampaign, IllinoisChampaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
, Nilsson won the individual championships in both the discus and the shot put. His winning throw in the shot put was 54 feet, 6-1/4 inches, and his winning throw in the discus was 164 feet, 3 inches. - March 1954: At the Big Ten indoor track and field meet in Champaign, IllinoisChampaign, IllinoisChampaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
, Nilsson won his the shot put competition—his third consecutive championship in the even at the Big Ten indoor meet. - April 1954: In a dual meet against StanfordStanford CardinalThe Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
in Palo Alto, CaliforniaPalo Alto, CaliforniaPalo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
, Nilsson won both the shot put (54 feet 6 inches) and discus (161 feet, 5-1/2 inches). - April 1954: At the Penn Relays, Nilsson won his third consecutive event championship in the shot put with a throw of 55 feet, 4-1/4 inches. He also won his second consecutive championship in the discus.
- May 1954: At the Big Ten outdoor track and field championships in Lafayette, IndianaLafayette, IndianaLafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
, Nilsson won the shot put event, marking his sixth Big Ten championship in the event—three indoor and three outdoor—from 1952 to 1954. His discus throw of 158 feet, 9 inches placed second behind Michigan teammate Roy Pella who threw the discus 160 feet, 6-5/8 inches.