National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Dave Schultz won the 1984 Olympic berth at 163 pounds in an epic battle with Hall of Famer Leroy Kemp. 1984: Lou Banach won the Olympic title at Los Angeles with four falls and an 11-1 decision. ED BANACH 19 84 1980 Although the 1980 Olympic Games went on as scheduled, the United States and a number of other countries boycotted the Games in Moscow because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. 1984 Los Angeles was awarded the 1984 Summer Olympics. In response to the American- led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, 14 Eastern Bloc countries, including the Soviet Union, Cuba and East Germany (but not Romania) boycotted the Games. Where ambitious construction for the 1976 Games in Montreal and 1980 Games in Moscow had saddled organizers with expenses greatly in excess of revenues, the Los Angeles Games under the leadership of Peter Ueberroth, strictly controlled expenses by using as many existing facilities as possible to host events, generating the most financially successful modern Olympic Games. Out of 20 contested medals, 10 each in freestyle and Greco-Roman, the United States dominated the competition, winning 13 total medals over second-ranked Japan, which won nine medals. U.S. freestylers claimed the greatest gold medal haul in Los Angeles, winning seven of 10 weight classes: Bobby Weaver at 105.5 pounds, Randy Lewis at 136.5 pounds, Dave Schultz at 163 pounds, Mark Schultz at 180.5 pounds, Ed Banach at 198 pounds, Lou Banach at 220 pounds and Bruce Baumgartner at heavyweight. Although he wrestled at the smallest weight class in the sport at the Olympics, Bobby Weaver made a gigantic impact on the mat for the United States' Freestyle Team. He made the 1980 Olympic team which did not compete due to the United States boycott. In 1976, he was an Olympic alternate. But in 1984, he was proclaimed Olympic champion by pinning Takashi Irie of Japan in the 105.5-pound finals, thus becoming Lehigh University's only Olympic gold medalist. Randy championships at the University of Iowa and reached the ultimate goal of an Olympic gold medal at 136.5 pounds. Lewis made the 1980 Olympic team, which was stymied by the boycott. His path to the Los Angeles Games was difficult. He won the key series of the final trials, only to have one of his victories overturned on protest. Beaten in the rematch, and then injured, Lewis used the Olympic Committee's appeals procedures and rejoined the team after arbitration. He then won the gold medal with a string of one- sided victories, wrestling with his signature style and flair. Lewis won two NCAA Dave Schultz won the 1984 Olympic berth at 163 pounds in an epic battle with Hall of Famer Leroy Kemp. By his own admission, Schultz "wasn't the greatest athlete in wrestling," but he was one of the most intelligent wrestlers in the history of the sport. He won a World title in 1983 paving the way for his Olympic gold medal victory in his native state of California. 1984: Bruce Baumgartner became the Olympic Champion and America's first gold medalist in 60 years of super heavyweight wrestling. Capturing his third National Collegiate championship was only the beginning for Mark Schultz. He then stepped into the international arena and reached heights of which few athletes can dream. His Olympic gold medal and two additional World Championships placed him among a mere handful of America's elite wrestlers. Mark and Dave Schultz were 1984 Olympic teammates of the Banach twins, Ed and Lou, at Los Angeles, where all four won gold medals. Mark and Ed became the first American wrestlers in 52 years to capture three NCAA titles with Olympic gold medals. The one-two punch provided by Ed and Lou Banach lifted University of Iowa wrestling to new heights. It also gave the U.S. a double harvest of gold medals in the 1984 Olympics. Ed, nicknamed "The Horse," was a thoroughbred in all respects. He won three national championships at 177 and 190 pounds, but his bid for an unprecedented fourth was blocked in his junior year by another 1984 Olympic gold medalist, Mark Schultz of Oklahoma. In Los Angeles, he was overwhelming at 198 pounds with a 48-second fall and four decisions with an average score of 13 points. Lou Banach won the Olympic title at Los Angeles with four falls—each in the first two minutes—and an 11-1 decision (the THE GOLD STANDARD NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM | 9 LEWIS MARK SCHULTZ

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