Oscar Osthoff

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameOscar Paul•Osthoff
Used nameOscar•Osthoff
Born23 March 1883 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA)
Died9 December 1950 in Indianapolis, Indiana (USA)
NOC United States
Medals OG
Gold 1
Silver 1
Bronze 0
Total 2

Biography

Although Oscar Osthoff won his Olympic medals in weightlifting, he was much better known as a swimmer and played football. Osthoff swam for the Milwaukee AC and initially played football for Marquette University before transferring to the University of Wisconsin. Primarily a sprinter, in 1906 he set a Central AAU record for 100 yards and in 1907 he broke the intercollegiate record at the same distance. Osthoff remained with the Milwaukee AC swim team until 1924 and as late as 1923 he was still winning titles, specifically the Wisconsin state diving championship. Osthoff was an excellent all-round athlete – he lettered in football, track, and gymnastics at Wisconsin, and was named first team All-Western Conference in 1909 and second-team All-American.

After college graduation, Oscar Osthoff coached both football and track at Washington State University, and utilized his engineering major in a lifelong career as a consulting structural engineer. He eventually returned to Wisconsin although in later life, he settled in Indiana where he was an engineer with the Department of Welfare. In 2004 he was posthumously inducted into the University of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1904 Summer Olympics Weightlifting USA Oscar Osthoff
Unlimited, Two Hands, Men (Olympic) 2 Silver
All-Around Dumbbell Contest, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold