Only seven USC Olympians are members of the United States Olympic Hall of Fame. One of them is Parry O’Brien, whose influence on the discipline of shot-putting is enormous. That is the precise reason why he owns such a rare and elevated place among Trojans in the history of American Olympic competition.
The craft of shot-putting demands a very precise technique. The act requires well-developed, rapid, compact, efficient movements which generate torque in the body and an overall level of well-directed force which enable the shot put to travel as far as possible without injuring the person who threw it. Shot-putting can’t be done haphazardly, or it could wrench any number of body parts out of alignment, causing prolonged pain and discomfort. Doing it right isn’t just a way to win an Olympic gold medal; it’s a way to remain healthy.
Parry O’Brien developed the “O’Brien Glide,” a revolutionary way to throw the shot put. The proof of his technique’s genius is found in the fact that O’Brien became the first man to throw a shot put 60 feet in live competition. As a bonus, O’Brien did so at a meet in the Los Angeles Coliseum, the perfect place for a USC man to set a world record.
Some athletes have flourished in national or at-large meets but withered under the Olympic spotlight. Not O’Brien. He carried his form from modest, low-publicity competitions to the Olympics. He qualified for and participated in four different games.
Parry O’Brien set an Olympic record when he won the gold medal at the 1952 Summer Games in Helsinki, Finland. He then defended his Olympic title four years later in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956. No one had defended a shot put gold medal at the Summer Olympics since Ralph Rose of the United States pulled off the dynamic double in 1904 (St. Louis) and 1908 (London).
O’Brien didn’t get a triple gold in 1960 in Rome, but he still finished on the medal podium, earning silver and becoming a rare Olympian who medaled in three separate Olympic Games. O’Brien was the flag-bearer for the 1964 U.S. Olympic contingent in Tokyo. He finished fourth, which was simultaneously disappointing and yet still a special achievement, a reminder that over a decade since his first Olympic breakthrough, O’Brien was still one of the four best shot-putters on the planet.
Parry O’Brien taught a generation of shot-putters how to practice their craft better… but not before a long reign of excellence at the Olympic Games and in other competitions for more than a decade. When considering USC’s greatest track and field performers of all time, O’Brien has to be part of the discussion.