Bill Spencer (biathlete)

William Allen “Bill” Spencer (born June 23, 1936) competed in the 1964 and 1968 Winter Olympics on the United States Biathlon Team.

Early life
Spencer was born in Russellville, AL. His family then moved to Salt Lake City where he attended South High School. He was a 1959 Collegiate Biathlon All-American at the University of Utah where he was also a member of Sigma Pi fraternity. He graduated from Utah in 1961 and served in the U.S. Army during the 1960s.

For a while he was assigned to Ft. Richardson in Alaska with his wife Judy and a son and daughter. He completed at least one tour of duty in Vietnam as an infantry officer.

National Championships
Spender won the U.S. Biathlon Championships in 1965, 1966 and 1967. He won the Canadian National Biathlon Championship in 1966 and 1967.

Olympics
Spencer competed in one event at the 1964 games. He finished 30th in the men’s individual 20 km race. This was good for second best on the American team.

In the 1968 games Spencer competed as an individual and as part of the Men’s 4 x 7.5 km relay. He finished 37th in the individual 20 km event (the second best of the U.S. squad) and the team finished eighth in the relay (out of fourteen teams).

As a coach and official
After retiring from competition Spencer spent much time as a coach and official. He was the U.S. biathlon team leader for the 1972 Olympics. He was the U.S. Olympic shooting coach for the 1976, 1980, and 1984 games. In 1984 he was again the biathlon team leader.

Spencer was the Coordinator of the National Guard Bureau Biathlon Program from 1977 to 1984. From 1984 to 1994 He was the U.S. Biathlon Association Coach and Development Coordinator.

Spencer returned to the Olympics in 1998 as a technical delegate for the International Biathlon Union. At the 2002 Olympics he was Deputy Chief of Competition for the Biathlon.

At the 2002 Olympics, he carried the Olympic torch off of the plane, along with Nikki Stone, that had brought it to the U.S. from Greece.

Awards

 * 2000 - Inducted into the U.S. Biathlon Hall of Fame
 * 2003 – Inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame
 * 2004 - Inducted into the Alf Engen Ski Museum
 * 2005 – Inducted into the University of Utah’s Crimson Club Hall of Fame