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Bruce Baumgartner
Winning four Olympic wrestling medals, including super-heavyweight gold in 1984 and 1992.
Olympic gold · Four Olympic medals
- Born
- 2 November 1960
- Birthplace
- Haledon, New Jersey, United States
More people
Bruce Baumgartner
Bruce Baumgartner was an American freestyle wrestler whose international career spanned four Olympic Games. His sustained success at the heaviest weight class continued into coaching and sports administration.
Early life
School sport
Wrestled and competed in throwing events at Manchester Regional High School.
Indiana State
Studied education and wrestled for Indiana State University.
Career
- 1982
NCAA champion
Won the collegiate heavyweight championship for Indiana State.
- 1984
First Olympics
Made his Olympic debut in Los Angeles.
- 1996
Final Olympics
Won bronze at his fourth Games in Atlanta.
- 1997
Athletic administration
Became athletic director at Edinboro after working there as a wrestling coach.
Achievements
Olympic gold
Won super-heavyweight freestyle titles in Los Angeles and Barcelona.
Four Olympic medals
Added silver in Seoul and bronze in Atlanta.
Three world titles
Won three freestyle world championships.
Beyond sport
Opening ceremony
Carried the United States flag at the 1996 Olympic opening ceremony.
Sports leadership
Later served as president of USA Wrestling.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗National Wrestling Hall of Fame ↗Photo: Lance Cpl. Jennifer Sanchez. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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