Frank Troeh - Trapshooting

Frank Troeh won gold at the 1920 Olympic Games, and became a Northwest legend through his skills in the state.

Born in Iowa in 1882, Troeh grew up in North Dakota, and later found his way to the Northwest, first in Washington and then in Oregon. He won his first competition in 1912, at age 31. He won Washington singles titles in 1914, ’16, ’18, and ’21.

At the 1920 Antwerp, Belgium, Olympic Summer Games, Troeh won gold in the team Trapshooting event after it hit 547 of 600 targets. He also won silver as an individual.
After his move to Oregon, Troeh dominated competitions at the state level throughout the 1920s and ‘30s. In 1934, he hit 348 straight targets in state competitions. In 1939, he won all four championships: singles, handicap, doubles and all-around; at the Oregon State Shoot – the first time that had been accomplished. He won his last state title in 1949 as part of a doubles team. His shooting career lasted to 1959.

At the national level, he performed at his best in the Grand American Championships – the sports most prestigious competition – winning 10 event titles between 1926 and 1930. In his career, he won 15 titles in the competition.

Troeh died in 1968 at age 86. He was inducted into the National Trapshooting Hall of Fame in 1970, and into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class in 1980.