Bruce Baumgartner
Four Olympics, four medals, thirteen global podiums
- Born
- November 2, 1960, Haledon, New Jersey, US
- Nationality
United States- Height
- 188 cm (6′2″)
- Style
- Durable super-heavyweight
- Weight
- +100 kg, 130 kg
- Active
- 1980–1996
- Status
- Retired · age 65
The medals
4 Olympic medals, 3 world titles
The story
ruce Baumgartner came to wrestling late, in high school, and built one of the longest careers in American wrestling. After going 44-0 as a senior to win the 1982 NCAA heavyweight title for Indiana State, he won Olympic gold at super-heavyweight in Los Angeles in 1984, silver in Seoul in 1988, gold again in Barcelona in 1992 and bronze in Atlanta in 1996, medaling at four straight Games. Add three world titles among nine world medals and he finished with 13 world and Olympic medals. He carried the U.S. flag at the 1996 opening ceremony, won the Sullivan Award in 1995 and later served Edinboro University as coach and athletic director before becoming president of USA Wrestling.
- Olympic champion (1984, 1992)
- Olympic silver (1988) and bronze (1996) medalist
- World champion ×3 (1986, 1993, 1995)
- Pan American Games champion (1987, 1991, 1995)
- NCAA heavyweight champion (1982)
- James E. Sullivan Award (1995)
- National Wrestling Hall of Fame Distinguished Member (2002)
- FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame (2003)
- U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame (2008)
- U.S. flag bearer, Atlanta 1996 opening ceremony
Defining matches
- 1984WINLos Angeles Olympics (super-heavyweight gold)
- 1988LOSSvs David Gobejishvili (Seoul Olympics; silver)
- 1992WINvs David Gobejishvili (Barcelona Olympics; second gold)
- 19963rd Atlanta Olympics (bronze, fourth Olympic medal)
Treat the pin as the goal, even at heavyweight: Baumgartner recorded 73 falls in college. Drill a top-control pinning series so every takedown gives you a chance to end the match.
1963–1968
