Russell Hellickson

Russell Owen Hellickson (born May 29, 1948 in Madison , Wisconsin ) is a retired American wrestler .

Career

Hellickson began wrestling as a teenager in high school. After high school, he attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison and became an excellent university wrestler. In contrast to many other university wrestlers, he also attached great importance to a career with the AAU (American Athletes Union) and thus also at FILA tournaments. He therefore took part in almost all the USA championships of the AAU in the 1970s and won five USA championship titles, even though he had tough competition in these years in the brothers Benjamin Peterson and John Peterson , both Olympic champions. He won three medals at international championships. In 1980 the boycott of the Games in Moscow prevented him from participating in the Olympics a second time.

After finishing his career as an active wrestler, he coached the University of Wisconsin for 16 years before moving to Ohio State University . He also made a career in the American Wrestling Federation and held important offices there. For ABC television, he was a commentator on wrestling at several major sporting events, including the Olympic Games. Together with his wife Nancy, who is also enthusiastic about wrestling, he also founded a magazine for wrestling in Wisconsin.

International success

(OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship, HS = light heavyweight, then up to 90 kg body weight, S heavyweight, then up to 100 kg body weight, F = freestyle)

• 1971, 1st place , Panamerican Games in Cali , HS, F, ahead of Barbaro Morgan, Cuba and Raul Garcia, Mexico ;
• 1971, 3rd place , World Championships in Sofia , HS, F, with victories over Nakodo Kentuchi Japan , Mehmet Güclü, Turkey , Reza Hosianikhorami, Iran , Roland Andersson, Sweden and a defeat against Pawel Kurczewski, Poland ;
• 1975, 1st place , Panamerican Games in Mexico City , ahead of Luape Lara, Cuba and Claude Pilon, Canada ;
• 1975, 4th place , World Cup in Minsk , HS, F, with victories over Géza Molnar, Hungary , Stelică Morcov , Romania , Hayri Polat , Turkey and defeats against Horst Stottmeister , GDR and Lewan Tediaschwili , Soviet Union ;
• 1976, silver medal , OS in Montreal , S, F, with victories over Reza Sukhtessari, Iran, Kazuo Shimizu, Japan, Keith Peach, United Kingdom , Dimo ​​Kostow, Bulgaria, Hollogin Baianmunkh, Mongolia and one defeat against Iwan Jarygin , USSR;
• 1979, 1st place , Panamerican Games in San Juan , S, F, ahead of Barbaro Morgan, Cuba and Michael Kappel, Canada;
• 1979, 2nd place , World Cup in San Diego , S, F, with victories over Slawko Tscherwenko, Bulgaria, Boguslaw Maumerowicz, Poland, Harald Büttner , GDR, Vasile Puşcaşu , Romania and one defeat against Ilja Mate, USSR

National successes

Russell Hellickson was American light heavyweight and heavyweight (freestyle) champions in 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1980.

Web links

• Profile of Russell Hellickson at the Institute of Applied Exercise Science
• Russell Hellickson in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )