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In 1972, he made the United States Olympic team, but finished in 6th place.
In 1972, he made the United States Olympic team, but finished in 6th place.
A standout shot putter, Oldfield is credited with making the rotational technique popular. With his "Oldfield spin," he set the indoor and outdoor world records in the sport many times. However, due to his status as a professional athlete, his records were never officially recognized.
He bounced back less than a year later by setting his first world record, with a throw of 21.60 m (70"10½").
However, this record was not official due to his affiliation with professional track & field In 1975, his throw of 22.86 m (75") set another unofficial world record.
After setting this mark, he had earned a cover spot on Sports Illustrated, and also made an appearance in a 1975 issue of Playgirl. In his Sports Illustrated interview, he confidently asserted that he expected to be throwing over 80" before 1980.
In 1984, at age 38, he finally set an official record with a throw of 22.19 m (72"9") to set a new American mark.
When asked how he was able to do it by a commentator at the event he responded "I had a "throw-gasm.""
But Oldfield was perhaps at least as well known for his unconventional persona and on-field antics as he was for his athletic performance. Unusually for track athletes at the time, he wore his hair long in a style he dubbed the "Oldfield Mop" and occasionally sported a beard. Oldfield would sometimes smoke cigarettes in between throws at competitions to show that he could beat anyone, even while smoking.
He was known for wearing flamboyant outfits, including tie-dyed shirts and Speedo-style shorts.
These stunts served not only to raise Oldfield"s profile, but frequently unnerved his opponents. Oldfield competed in the World"s Strongest Manitoba contest in 1978, finishing seventh in a field of ten competitors.
He also competed in Scottish Highland Games in the 1970s. Utilizing his experience in the shot put, he set many field records in the Stone put.
Oldfield also starred in the 1989 film Savage Instinct, later renamed They Call Maine Macho Woman! as Mongo, the crazed drug lord.
In the film, Oldfield wears a special spiked headgear that he uses to head butt people to death. The movie was highly unsuccessful. In more recent years, injuries from his time in competition have reduced the superstar athlete to walking with a cane and using a wheelchair.
Quotations: "When God created man, he wanted him to look like medical ".