STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum will host a presentation entitled The Gold Standard at the 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship Fan Fest on Thursday, March 15 at the Peabody Opera House in St. Louis, Mo. 

The Gold Standard will feature Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, moderating a panel of wrestling experts who will review the history of the United States 48 individual Olympic Champions dating back to the 1904 St. Louis Olympic Games. 

“We have assembled an exceptional group of coaches and competitors who have over 60 years of experience with the U.S. Olympic movement to discuss our gold medal heritage,” Smith said. “Wayne Baughman, Bobby Douglas, Stan Dziedzic, Dan Gable, Alan Rice and Greg Strobel represent a wealth of Olympic history as competitors, coaches, and administrators. They will provide tremendous insight as to the development of the United States Olympic wrestling program.”

The presentation will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the Peabody Opera House stage between the first and second sessions of the NCAA Championships. Immediately following the panel discussion will be an autograph session with the panelists and several 2012 Olympic hopefuls.

Shortly after the NCAA tournament, The Gold Standard will be available as an educational exhibit that includes a book and a video.

“This being an Olympic year, the Hall of Fame has partnered with USA Wrestling to produce The Gold Standard book that will be available in both a printed edition and in digital format on the USA Wrestling and National Wrestling Hall of Fame websites prior to the Olympic Trials in April,” Smith said. “We want this exhibit to showcase our sport’s Olympic Glory from 1904 to 2008 and to inspire both the youth of our land and our 2012 Olympians to the ultimate quest in wrestling.” 

The Gold Standard program and NCAA Fan Fest events at the Peabody Opera House are free to the public during the championships March 15-17.