Rick Sanders (wrestler)

Rick Sanders

Sanders (top) at the 1972 Olympics
Personal information
Born	January 20, 1945 (1945-01-20) Lakeview, Oregon, U.S.
Died	October 18, 1972(1972-10-18) (aged 27) Skopje, Yugoslavia
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Wrestling
Event(s)	Freestyle and Folkstyle
College team	Portland State
Club	Multnomah Athletic Club
Team	USA
Medal record Men's freestyle wrestling Representing the  United States Olympic Games 1968 Mexico City 52 kg 1972 Munich 57 kg World Championships 1969 Mar del Plata 52 kg 1967 New Delhi 52 kg 1966 Toledo 52 kg Pan American Games 1967 Winnipeg 57 kg Collegiate Wrestling Representing Portland State NAIA Championships 1965 Terre Haute 115 lb NCAA Division I Championships 1966 Ames 115 lb 1967 Kent 115 lb 1968 State College 123 lb NCAA Division II Championships 1967 Wilkes-Barre 115 lb 1968 Mankato 123 lb 1966 Mankato 123 lb

Richard Joseph "Rick" Sanders (January 20, 1945 – October 18, 1972) was an American folkstyle and freestyle wrestler. He won gold medals at the 1967 Pan American Games and 1969 World Championships, finishing second at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics and 1967 World Championships. After the 1972 Olympics, while traveling to Greece, he was killed in a car accident in Skopje, Yugoslavia.^[1] In 1987, Sanders was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member.^[2]