9781422284308

GREATEST MOMENTS

Promise Realized

On the freestyle side of the 1984 Olympic wrestling program, Californian Dave Schultz was favored to win an Olympic gold medal. Unlike in Greco- Roman wrestling, Americans were very good at the freestyle discipline and ultimately won gold in seven of the 10 weight classes. The most triumphant of those wins came in the welterweight (74 kg [163 lb]) weight class, where Schultz fulfilled all the promise he had shown as a prep school wrestling phenom and three-time NCAA All-American. He came into the Los Angeles Games as the reigning world champion. He faced West Germany’s Martin Knosp, the 1982 world champion who had pinned all five of his opponents in the competition. This weight class was considered the toughest of the tournament, and after a tight opening period where he led 1-0, Schultz dominated the final period to win the gold 4-1.

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