Stan Dziedzic of Roswell, Ga., has been appointed as a Vice President of FILA, the international wrestling federation.

There were two openings for Vice Presidents on the FILA Bureau, the sport’s international governing council, after elections held at the FILA Congress in Moscow, Russia in September.

FILA President Raphael Martinetti announced today that Stan Dziedzic of the United States and Ahmet Ayik of Turkey have been appointed as Vice Presidents.

Dziedzic has served on the FILA Bureau since his election in 2006. In his new role as a Vice President, Dziedzic will now also sit on FILA’s Executive Committee.

“I look forward to both the responsibility and challenge of advancing the ever-evolving international sport of wrestling,” said Dziedzic. “As FILA President Martinetti wisely points out, continental representation is an important component in the make-up of the FILA Executive Committee.”

Dziedzic currently chairs the FILA Athletes and Hall of Fame Department, and has been instrumental in the development and expansion of the FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame. 

Prior to his election to the FILA Bureau, Dziedzic served two terms as USA Wrestling's president and is currently the past president on USA Wrestling's Board of Directors. In his four years as USA Wrestling president, the organization strengthened its position within international wrestling and has assisted in promoting wrestling within the Olympic community.

“Stan Dziedzic has long been one of the brightest minds in Olympic wrestling and I am confident that he will serve our sport very well in his new role,” said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender.

Dziedzic won a bronze medal at the 1976 Olympic Games at 163 pounds in freestyle wrestling in Montreal, Canada. He was a World champion in 1977 in Lausanne, Switzerland. He placed fifth in the 1974 World Championships. He won two World Cup titles and four national freestyle titles during his career. 

Dziedzic was a 1971 NCAA champion for Slippery Rock Univ. and also won three small college national titles there. He is a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and has been inducted into the Div. II Wrestling Hall of Fame.

He served as national freestyle coach for the United States in the early 1980's and was team manager of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team. 

He served as an executive with Lehman Bros. in Atlanta, Ga. before retiring.

“My appointment is more about USA Wrestling's leadership and less about me. In my duties as FILA Vice President, I will strive to represent the interests of the Western Hemisphere in FILA,” said Dziedzic.