Olympic silver medalist Don Behm reflects on the controversial 1968 scoring

[Kforcer]

Don Behm took a silver medal without ever getting to wrestle the gold medalist. It was the only Olympics to feature such scoring. Behm took 2nd to his former NCAA opponent, the legendary Yojiro Uetake of Oklahoma State, owing to a unique system where Uetake was unbeaten but had drawn against a wrestler that Behm had lost to. The scoring system was never used in the Olympics again and it is strange why it was ever used in the first place or thought to be a good idea.

Pretty interesting video for those who would want insight into one of the most controversial and unique Olympics for freestyle wrestling.

 

[Daniel Fox]

Don Behm took a silver medal without ever getting to wrestle the gold medalist. It was the only Olympics to feature such scoring. Behm took 2nd to his former NCAA opponent, the legendary Yojiro Uetake of Oklahoma State, owing to a unique system where Uetake was unbeaten but had drawn against a wrestler that Behm had lost to. The scoring system was never used in the Olympics again and it is strange why it was ever used in the first place or thought to be a good idea.

Pretty interesting video for those who would want insight into one of the most controversial and unique Olympics for freestyle wrestling.

Great find!! Did you conduct this interview? Thanks for putting this up.

 

[EndlessCritic]

"Never stop, make them pull you off. You never stop."

wtf lol?

 

[Kforcer]

Great find!! Did you conduct this interview? Thanks for putting this up.

Nope, I did not. That is my high school coach, though. And my older brother's coach.

I'm not sure if he is correct about Uetake not scoring offensive points in his last three matches, but I do know that Uetake suffered a separated shoulder, which affected his performance (naturally).

 

[Kforcer]

"Never stop, make them pull you off. You never stop."

wtf lol?

Well, that advice would have yielded him an Olympic gold medal in this case. Definitely not the best advice in certain contexts, but maybe appropriate in a highly politicized freestyle world championship.

 

[nefti]

Well, that advice would have yielded him an Olympic gold medal in this case. Definitely not the best advice in certain contexts, but maybe appropriate in a highly politicized freestyle world championship.

Its the referees job to stop the match, its the competitors job to compete until he is told to stop.

 

[Kforcer]

Its the referees job to stop the match, its the competitors job to compete until he is told to stop.

It's a tough situation, being stopped for a supposedly illegal move that you know full well is perfectly within the rules.