John Peterson GARY ABBOTT’S MATSIDE CHAT WITH...
John Peterson is a legendary champion within U.S. wrestling, a 1976 Olympic champion and 1972 Olympic silver medalist. Although he was not a major success on the high school or col- lege level, he joined his younger brother Ben Peterson on the national freestyle circuit and rapidly improved. Ben also won an Olympic gold medal and Olympic silver medal. John also won a World silver medal and World bronze medal. He has remained active as a coach, working with Athletes in Action and many U.S. international tour teams. USA Wrestler visited with him after he coached the 2011 Cadet Freestyle World Team.
USA Wrestler: How did you and Ben get involved in wrestling? Peterson: We had five boys in our family, two older brothers and two younger brothers. The oldest brother was a sports fanatic. He played football, basketball and baseball in high school and was an all Big-Ten offensive guard at Wisconsin. The second brother didn’t want to do what he did, and wanted to try wrestling. Dad was fine with it but it took awhile for mom to sign the permission form. Once he got into wrestling, he start- ed showing us moves. Ben and I both started competing the same year when I was a sophomore and he was a freshman. We were both at 127 pounds. We wrestled JV all year until the end. The coach let Ben wrestle the last eight varsity matches including the tournaments. He got pinned in every one of them.
USA Wrestler: What were the highlights of your high school wrestling career, and what do you remember most about that part of your wrestling journey? Peterson: I remember losing in the sectional tournament right before the state meet. I could have gotten the true second place, but I ended up third. I lost to the kid who was the state champion the next week. I was devastated and didn’t wrestle back well. I learned a lot from that.
USA Wrestler: Why did you attend Wisconsin-Stout, and how did you grow as an athlete there? Peterson: Because I didn’t place at state, I didn’t go there to wrestle. I went to get a degree in construction. I ended up switching my major to technical education so I could coach. During my freshman year, I got antsy. I got nervous talking to the coach to see if I could try out. I had an idea that you had to place at state to wrestle there. The coach said anybody could wrestle there. I made the team as a freshman. I won the state conference meet the next three years. I was disappointed that I didn’t win nationals. My highlight was at Midlands when I beat Keith Havens of Iowa State in the semis, and I lost to James Taniehill in the finals.
USA Wrestler: When did you decide to compete in freestyle wrestling and pursue international wrestling after college? Peterson: My freshman year in college, Ben and I both tried out for the Olympic team. There was a regional qualifier in River Falls. Alan Rice ran some clinics showing freestyle and Greco- Roman technique and we attended. Coach Rice was a big influ-
24 USA Wrestler
John Peterson won Olympic gold and silver medals in freestyle wrestling for the United States.
ence on getting us into international wrestling. The World Training Camp in 1970 was at UW-Superior and I went there.
USA Wrestler: What do you feel was the reason that you were able to quickly become successful in freestyle wrestling once you got involved? Peterson: I was better on my feet than on the mat. Freestyle appealed to me. The biggest thing is I ended up making the 1971 World Team. I trained with guys at the Pan American camp and the World Team camp. Ben placed third that year and he asked Coach Doug Blubaugh if I could also come. He said if I worked hard and paid my own way I could come. I hadn’t qual- ified to be there. That year, I wrestled at 163 pounds at the Federation Nationals and lost in the third round. That’s when I decided to go up to 180.5 pounds. I was eating a lot and train- ing with Dan Gable. I ended up making that World Team.
USA Wrestler: What were the key factors in your ability to earn a spot on the 1972 Olympic Team? Peterson: Dan Gable invited me to come down and share an
apartment with him in Ames and I trained with the Iowa State team. I worked hard at Stout, but I didn’t have the practice part- ners. I was a better competition wrestler than a practice room wrestler. That year, Steve Combs, who was a 1968 Olympian, beat me 15-0 at the Federation Nationals. Gable helped me after that. I ended up beating Combs later. I tell people that Gable started his coaching with Ben and I.
USA Wrestler: Tell us about the 1972 Olympic training camp,
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