Dave Laut
An American shot put champion whose powerful throws in the late 1970s and 80s earned him an Olympic bronze and a tragic legacy.
1956–2009 (age 53)·American shot putter·Birthday: December 21·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dave Laut's story is one of explosive power and quiet struggle. Growing up in California, he channeled his formidable strength into the shot put circle, developing into a dominant force at UCLA where he won two NCAA titles. His career peaked in the era of American throwing giants. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, competing before a home crowd, he launched the shot 21.09 meters to claim the bronze medal, a crowning achievement in a career that saw him ranked as the top American putter. Laut was known for his technically sound, powerful glide technique in an era transitioning to the spin. After retiring from competition, he remained in athletics as a coach and found success in business. His life ended in a shocking act of violence in 2009, when he was shot and killed outside his home, a brutal conclusion that overshadowed his athletic accomplishments and left the track and field community mourning a competitor remembered for his intensity and focus in the ring.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Dave was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dave Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Dave's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2009Died at 53
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
Key Achievements
- Won the bronze medal in the shot put at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
- Was a two-time NCAA champion in the shot put while competing for UCLA.
- Achieved a personal best throw of 21.99 meters (72 feet, 1.75 inches) in 1982.
- Ranked as the number one shot putter in the United States in 1981 and 1982.
Did You Know?
He attended Moorpark College and San Jose City College before transferring to UCLA.
Laut's wife was convicted of his murder in 2016, though the conviction was later overturned, and she pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter.
He worked as an athletic director and coach at Hueneme High School in California after his competitive career.
His Olympic bronze in 1984 was part of an American sweep of the shot put event, with teammates Michael Carter taking gold and Mike Barlow silver.
“The ring is a battlefield, and the shot is your only weapon.”
