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If Baumgartner wins a medal of some kind in Atlanta, he will join a small and decidedly mixed bag of Americans (no archers) who have won medals in four Olympics: Francis Conn Findlay (rowing, yachting), J. Michael Plumb (equestrian), Norbert Schemansky (weight lifting) and Al Oerter (discus). Each of these men is amazing enough in longevity, but they compete physically in solo events while the aging Baumgartner has to pit himself in hand-to-hand combat against powerful grapplers younger and fresher than he.
Besides iffy joints and aging muscles, Baumgartner is disadvantaged because his techniques and tactics are an open book to his opponents; he has been thoroughly scouted and diagrammed over his long years in international competition. "I try to change my offense a little bit," he says, "but it has been around for a while. That makes it more predictable. Also you don't have the youthful endurance and craziness you had when you were young. But you do wrestle a lot smarter and a little more conservatively. I think that creates many more successes."
A major reason for Baumgartner's unprecedented longevity at the top of his sport is sheer bulk. Competing as a no-limit super heavyweight, he doesn't have to submit himself to the excruciating and exhausting regimen of making weight that men in the lighter classes must do. "I have a huge edge," he says. "A guy competing at 114 lbs. goes home, has a skimpy, no-cal meal and spends his life fighting off ounces. It's physically debilitating and emotionally killing. For me, I go home, eat a steak and relax, and the pounds take care of themselves."
How long can he keep doing this? "I am at an age where people are starting to doubt my abilities again, even though I did pretty well at the Worlds in '95 and in this year's competitions. I'm focused on Atlanta. I don't look beyond. If I'm lucky and I win, I could foresee myself just walking away from it all. Or I could foresee myself staying in it for Sydney. Let's just say I want to compete until it's no longer fun. Or until my body gives up. Or until my wife gets sick and tired of it. Whichever comes first."