Wayne Wells

For the American musician born Wayne Wells, see Wayne Static.

Wayne Turner Wells (born September 29, 1946) is an American wrestler and Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling at the 1972 Olympic Games. Wells was born in Abilene, Texas and grew up in Oklahoma.^[2] In 1982, Wells was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member.

Wayne Wells

Personal information
Birth name	Wayne Turner Wells
Born	September 29, 1946 (1946-09-29) (age 78) Abilene, Texas, U.S.[1]
Home town	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Wrestling
Event(s)	Freestyle and Folkstyle
College team	Oklahoma
Team	USA
Medal record Men's freestyle wrestling Representing the  United States Olympic Games 1972 Munich 74 kg World Championships 1970 Edmonton 74 kg 1969 Mar del Plata 74 kg Pan American Games 1971 Cali 74 kg Collegiate Wrestling Representing the Oklahoma Sooners NCAA Division I Championships 1968 State College 152 lb 1967 Kent 152 lb

Wrestling career

While wrestling at the University of Oklahoma, Wayne was a three-time Big Eight champion and a three-time All-American. He was an NCAA runner-up as a junior, he won the NCAA national championship the following year as a senior.

Wells placed fourth at the 1968 Olympic Games. While turning his attention to law school and the foundation of his professional career, Wayne intensified his wrestling efforts. He captured the silver medal at the 1969 World Championships, then returned a year later to win gold at the 1970 World Championships. He won two national freestyle titles and placed second in the Pan American Games. In the months leading up to the 1972 Olympics, he completed his final year of law school, passed the state bar exam, assisted the OU coaching staff, and trained five hours a day. At the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, he earned a gold medal in freestyle wrestling in the welterweight class.^[3] Wells is also noted for being the first ever Nike signature athlete.^[4]

In 1982, Wells was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member.^[5]

References

1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Wayne Wells". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
2. Baughman, R. Wayne. (June 22, 2020). Why I love sports: Wayne Wells is a true Oklahoma sports hero. The Oklahoman. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
3. "1972 Summer Olympics – München, Germany – Wrestling" Archived September 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. databaseOlympics.com. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
4. Palmer, Mark. (February 4, 2020). Wayne Wells: Olympic gold medalist, first Nike signature athlete. InterMat Wrestling. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
5. "National Wrestling Hall of Fame".

External links

• Wayne Wells at the International Wrestling Database
• Wayne Wells at Olympedia