Ben Peterson

Ben Peterson
Peterson (bottom) at the 1976 Olympics
Personal information
Full nameBenjamin Lee Peterson
Born (1950-06-27) June 27, 1950 (age 74)
Barron County, Wisconsin, U.S.
Height187 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportWrestling
Event(s)Freestyle and Folkstyle
College teamIowa State
TeamUSA
Coached byHarold Nichols
Medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1972 Munich 90 kg
Silver medal – second place 1976 Montreal 90 kg
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1973 Tehran 90 kg
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1975 Mexico City 90 kg
Collegiate Wrestling
Representing the Iowa State Cyclones
NCAA Division I Championships
Gold medal – first place 1971 Auburn 190 lb
Gold medal – first place 1972 College Park 190 lb

Benjamin Lee "Ben" Peterson (born June 27, 1950) is a retired American freestyle wrestler. He competed at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics and won a gold and a silver medal, respectively. As a college wrestler, Peterson was a two-time NCAA champion at Iowa State. He founded the "Camp of Champs," which brought in Olympic wrestlers to train with high schoolers. Peterson also coached wrestling at Maranatha Baptist University for 28 years.