One of the lesser known footnotes to modern Olympic
history is the relationship of John Du Pont to the Olympic wrestling gold
medalist brothers Mark and Dave Schultz. It’s a funny thing that no one pays
much attention to the sport of wrestling outside of the quadrennial Olympic
cycle, but there’s something so quintessentially American about the sport Of
course it’s been around since the ancient games of Greece and eastern Europeans
often excel at it, but the American ideal is intrinsically bound to it. It’s a
sport based on physical confrontation one-on-one. You succeed based on your own
abilities. It is a total make-it-or-break-it scenario. It’s about a fiercely
intense combination of brute strength and cunning strategic skills. You have to
be tough and strong, but also to outwit your opponent.
