Sports

Remembering Olympic gold medalist Dave Schultz: 20 years today

Published

January 26, 2016

Dave was killed on Jan. 26, 1996, by eccentric millionaire John du Pont.

Along with his younger brother, Mark, they were the only brother duo in wrestling history to win the Olympic Games in 1984 and the World Championships that year. They were subsequently honored by President Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan at the White House.

Left to right: Nancy Reagan, Mark Schultz, President Ronald Reagan, Dave Schultz

Courtesy of Mark Schultz

Their life was made into the major motion picture, Foxcatcher, where Oscar-nominated actor Mark Ruffalo portrayed Dave. Mark also wrote a sports autobiography in 2014 entitled Foxcatcher, which was a best-seller.

Alexander Schultz and Mark Ruffalo

Alexander Schultz

In July of 2015, Mark and Dave were inducted into the Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1997, Dave was posthumously inducted into the prestigious National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a distinguished member.

In this article:Dave Schultz, Foxcatcher, Mark Schultz, Olympian

Written By Markos Papadatos

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 23,000 original articles over the past 19 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.