Olympic and world freestyle wresting champion Dave Schultz from Palo Alto High is one of four Americans who comprise the 15-member 2016 United World Wrestling Hall of Fame class.
Referee Rick Tucci, coach William “Bill” Farrell and administrator Joe Scalzo are the other three Americans selected as part of the class, which will be honored at an induction ceremony Aug. 12 in Rio de Janeiro, prior to the start of the Olympic wrestling competition.
A 10-time national champion across three different weight divisions, Schultz won the 74 kg. world title in 1983, followed by a gold medal at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games. His brother Mark also won in Los Angeles, making them Team USA’s first brothers to win wrestling golds at the same Olympic Games.
In addition to the 1983 world title, Schultz earned a total of five other medals at the world championships: silvers in 1985, 1987 and 1993, and bronzes in 1982 and 1986. He won gold at the Indianapolis 1987 Pan American Games, which was followed by a bronze medal at the 1995 Pan Ams.
He also took gold (1986) and silver (1994) at the Goodwill Games and earned four golds and a silver in world cup competition.
In January 1996, Schultz was preparing for another Olympic bid and coaching a wrestling club in eastern Pennsylvania when he was shot to death by the club’s owner.
By USA Wrestling/Palo Alto Online Sports
By USA Wrestling/Palo Alto Online Sports
By USA Wrestling/Palo Alto Online Sports