Fans may vote once a day for U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame; Three wrestlers on ballot - Baumgartner, Smi
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Charlie Snyder (USOC)
03/11/2004
The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame has returned and wrestling has three finalists for the Class of 2004. They are: Two-time Olympic Champions Bruce Baumgartner and John Smith and Olympic Champion Jeff Blatnick. From March 10 through April 14, fans are invited to log onto usolympicteam.com, the official site of the U.S. Olympic Team, to vote for the athletes they feel are deserving of Hall of Fame induction. Fans can vote once per day and are automatically entered into a sweepstakes that has three Grand Prizes (VIP Experience at the Induction Ceremony in July); 10 U.S. Olympic Leather Jackets and 25 U.S. Olympic Merchandise Packs. To vote and view athlete bios with video vignettes, visit: http://www.usolympichalloffame.com To see a photo gallery of the individual candidates, visit: http://www.usolympicteam.com/photo_gallery/2004HoF/index.html To see the complete press release on the Induction, visit: http://www.usolympicteam.com/goldmedal/031004_p_hofpr.html To see all existing Distinguished Members of the Hall, visit: http://www.usolympicteam.com/goldmedal/031004_p_hof.html The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has announced the return of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. Presented by Allstate, and supported by associate sponsor Kleenex® Brand tissue, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame has been inactive since 1992. The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame returns to its roots in Chicago where the charter class was enshrined in 1983, with such Olympic legends as Beamon, Cassius Clay, Peggy Fleming, Al Oerter, Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, Mark Spitz, Jim Thorpe and the1980 Miracle on Ice Hockey Team. Annual additions continued through 1992, adding Olympic legends such as Conner, Donna de Varona, Dorothy Hamill, Sugar Ray Leonard, Carl Lewis, Greg Louganis, Phil Mahre, Meyer, John Naber and Mary Lou Retton. The Hall of Fame consists of 151 Distinguished Members, including 68 athletes from individual sports, five teams and 11 special contributors. Dan Gable (1972 Olympic champion in freestyle) is the only wrestler currently inducted in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 1985. U.S. wrestling has won 47 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALS AND 116 OLYMPIC MEDALS for our nation. Baumgartner won Olympic gold medals in freestyle wrestling in 1984 and 1992, as well as an Olympic silver medal in 1988 and an Olympic bronze medal in 1996. He was the U.S. flagbearer for the Opening Ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga. Smith won Olympic gold medals in 1988 and 1992 in freestyle wrestling. Blatnick won an Olympic gold medal in 1884 in Greco-Roman wrestling and was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team that did not attend the Moscow Olympics due to the U.S. boycott. Class of 2004 Finalists Individual Finalists -- Six (6) to be inducted 1. Evelyn Ashford (Track & Field) 2. Greg Barton (Canoe/Kayak) 3. Bruce Baumgartner (Wrestling) 4. Joan Benoit (Track & Field) 5. Matt Biondi (Swimming) 6. Bonnie Blair (Speedskating) 7. Jeff Blatnick (Wrestling) 8. Valerie Brisco (Track & Field) 9. Oscar de la Hoya (Boxing) 10. Janet Evans (Swimming) 11. Rowdy Gaines (Swimming) 12. Florence Griffith Joyner (Track & Field) 13. Dan Jansen (Speedskating) 14. Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Track & Field) 15. Mary T. Meagher (Swimming) 16. Shannon Miller (Gymnastics) 17. Tracie Ruiz (Synchronized Swimming) 18. John Smith (Wrestling) 19. Kristi Yamaguchi (Figure Skating) Team Finalists -- One (1) to be inducted 1. 1976 Women's Swimming 4x100m Freestyle Relay 2. 1988 Women's Track and Field 4x100m Relay 3. 1992 Men's Basketball 4. 1996 Women's Soccer 5. 1996 Women's Gymnastics 6. 1998 Women's Ice Hockey Paralympian Finalists -- One (1) to be inducted 1. John Morgan (Swimming) 2. Linda Mastandrea (Track & Field) 3. Randy Snow (Wheelchair Tennis) 4. Dennis Oehler (Basketball, Tennis, and Track & Field) 5. Diana Golden (Alpine Skiing) BRUCE BAUMGARTNER QUICK BIO * Freestyle wrestling super heavyweight (UNL and 130 kg) * 4x Olympic medalists, the only freestyle wrestler from any nation to win four Olympic freestyle medals * 1984 and 1992 Olympic gold medalist * 1988 Olympic silver medalist * 1996 Olympic bronze medalist * U.S. flagbearer for Opening Ceremonies at 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games * One of just three U.S. wrestlers to win two Olympic gold medals * 13 career World and Olympic medals (tied for 1st with Alexander Karelin of Russia) JOHN SMITH QUICK BIO * Freestyle wrestling 62 kg * 1988 and 1992 Olympic gold medalist * One of just three U.S. wrestlers to win two Olympic gold medals * Won a World or Olympic gold medal six straight years (1987-1992) JEFF BLATNICK QUICK BIO * Greco-Roman wrestling super heavyweight (UNL and 130 kg) * 1984 Olympic gold medalist * Overcame Hodgkins Disease, a form of cancer, to win his gold medal * 1980 Olympian, unable to compete due to U.S. boycott * Only second U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler to win Olympic gold * One of only three U.S. Greco-Roman Olympic champions