Olympic medalist coaches local athlete, recalls horror of the Munich Games in Germany

Posted on June 8, 2016 by Keera Frye in Features // 0 Comments

It was the morning of the javelin competition at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. Bill Schmidt, now 68, realized that his transportation wasn’t going to arrive. So he ran. Schmidt ran four miles to the Olympic stadium only to be told that he was too late for the javelin competition. But he didn’t let that stop him.

“I did a kind of jailbreak,” Schmidt said. “I ran past the guards for the track and I competed.”

Schmidt was determined to get to that track to do what he loved, a lesson that he now passes down to Connellsville junior Madison Wiltrout as she prepares to compete in the Olympic trials in July with aspirations to compete in the Rio Games in Brazil.

“One of the biggest things that he always stresses is to just do what you love,” Wiltrout of Schmidt.

For the past two years, Wiltrout has been training with Schmidt as her javelin coach. In preparation for the Olympic trials this July, Wiltrout and Schmidt recently utilized Southmoreland High School’s track facilities to train because of the artificial runway surface.

“After all of this training, all we can hope for is that Madison will compete the best that she can and take something away from this experience,” said Schmidt.

Wiltrout, a two-time state champion, set a national scholastic record as a sophomore. That performance gave her the national recognition she needed to potentially compete on the world’s biggest stage.

In the 2015 WPIAL AAA Central Regional qualifier, Wiltrout launched a throw of 185-8, setting new national girls’ high school record. The previous mark was held by Haley Crouser from Oregon, who had a throw of 181-2 in 2012.

Wiltrout has been recovering from surgery after suffering an injury at the state meet in Shippensburg in 2015. At this year’s meet, Wiltrout was third and in danger of missing an opportunity to become a three-time state champion until she launched a throw 164-1 on her final throw to win the title.

Schmidt said he hopes to help Wiltrout reach the Olympic Games and enjoy the level of international competition he experienced 44 years abo.

Schmidt said he recalls the environment at the Munich Games in 1972 when he competed. With his father’s German heritage and the last name Schmidt, he “felt at home.” He said he can still hear the supportive cheers from the German crowd as he was throwing.

Bill Schmidt throws javelin at 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany.

That day, Schmidt earned a bronze medal in the Munich Games, becoming the only American man to win an Olympic medal in the javelin throw in that last 60 years. Schmidt recalls the 1972 competition to be “one of the best javelin competitions in history.” All of the medalists’ throws were extremely close, making it “even more of an honor to win a bronze medal.” However, not everyone remembers the 1972 Munich Games for the amazing javelin competition.

“Unfortunately, the 1972 Olympic Games have been remembered mostly for the ‘Munich Massacre’ instead of the many countries coming together to compete athletically,” said Schmidt.

Schmidt had already competed when “masked terrorists” arrived in the Olympic Village. Athletes watched from their balconies as the armed members of the Black September Palestinian terrorist organization ran through the village. The terrorists took nine members of the Israeli Olympic team hostage and killed two other members of the team for resisting. In the end, all 11 athletes were killed and five of the eight terrorists were killed by German security as they tried to escape.

“It was then that I realized how much more important human life was than what I did on the track,” said Schmidt.

Schmidt said the athletes who were lost “should be remembered as well as for what they were a part of. Not an athletic competition or a massacre, but the joining of nations.” Schmidt said he considers his experience at the 1972 Olympics an “exceptional honor,” because with this accomplishment, he was able to represent his country as an athlete and Olympic medalist.