The world of sports journalism is mourning the loss of a legend. Heinz Kluetmeier, the brilliant photographer who captured some of the most iconic Olympic moments of all time, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 82. His legacy lives on through the groundbreaking images he leaves behind.
A Pioneer in Sports Photography
Kluetmeier was a true innovator in his field. He constantly pushed the boundaries of what was possible with a camera, experimenting with new technologies and techniques to get the perfect shot. As his longtime colleague Jeff Kavanaugh put it:
“The advances that he helped bring along, especially in sports photography, he’ll be remembered for that.”
– Jeff Kavanaugh, photographer
One of Kluetmeier’s most notable contributions was his early adoption of underwater camera technology. Starting at the 1991 world swimming championships, he began capturing stunning images from beneath the surface, providing a whole new perspective on the sport. By the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he had mastered the technique.
The Miracle Finish
It was in Beijing that Kluetmeier snapped perhaps his most famous underwater shot. In the men’s 100-meter butterfly final, Michael Phelps was vying for his seventh gold medal of the games. As he approached the wall, it looked like he would be out-touched by Serbia’s Milorad Cavic. But Phelps made a furious final lunge, slamming his hands on the timing pad just a fingernail ahead of Cavic.
The finish was so close, not even the athletes were sure who had won. Phelps later admitted he thought Cavic had beaten him. But Kluetmeier’s frame-by-frame underwater images provided indisputable proof of Phelps’ razor-thin victory, cementing his status as the greatest Olympian of all time. The perfectly-timed photos, with Phelps’ arms outstretched and Cavic’s head turned in dismay, remain some of the most iconic in sports history.
Miracle On Ice
Of course, Kluetmeier is perhaps best known for another miracle entirely. His image of the US hockey team celebrating their improbable semifinal victory over the mighty Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid has become the defining shot of the so-called “Miracle on Ice.” Snapped with a handheld camera from his spot in the stands, the photo of ecstatic young American players leaping over the boards as the final horn sounds perfectly captures the euphoria of that historic upset.
The image was so powerful that Sports Illustrated ran it on their cover without any headline or caption—the first and only time they have ever done so. It remains one of the most famous covers in the magazine’s history. As Kavanaugh recalls, that was just Kluetmeier’s instinct for getting the shot:
“He just knew that was going to be an iconic moment…It was just kind of little bit of luck hitting the moments.”
– Jeff Kavanaugh
An Unforgettable Legacy
Over his remarkable career, Kluetmeier covered countless sporting events and personalities, from Michael Jordan to Muhammad Ali to Secretariat. But he will forever be linked with the Olympics, where his innovative eye and impeccable timing produced many of the Games’ most enduring images.
While the man behind the camera is gone, the memories he captured will live on. The moments of triumph and heartbreak, the split-second instants that decided gold medals and defined legends—through his lens, Heinz Kluetmeier made them eternal. And for that, the world of sports will be forever grateful.
