Tom Brands

Tom Brands

Personal information
Born	April 9, 1968 (1968-04-09) (age 56) Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Home town	Sheldon, Iowa, U.S.
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Wrestling
Event(s)	Freestyle and Folkstyle
College team	Iowa
Club	Hawkeye Wrestling Club
Team	USA
Coached by	Dan Gable
Medal record Men's freestyle wrestling Representing the  United States Olympic Games 1996 Atlanta 62 kg World Championships 1993 Toronto 62 kg Pan American Games 1995 Mar del Plata 62 kg Collegiate Wrestling Representing the Iowa Hawkeyes NCAA Division I Championships 1990 College Park 134 lb 1991 Iowa City 134 lb 1992 Oklahoma City 134 lb

Tom Brands (born April 9, 1968) is an American former Olympic wrestler and is currently the head coach of the University of Iowa men's wrestling team. He won a gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics.^[1]

An intense competitor, Brands' wrestling career with the University of Iowa included a record of 158-7-2 and an undefeated season in 1991 where he was 45–0. He was a four-time All-American, three-time NCAA Champion, three-time Big Ten Conference champion, and Outstanding Wrestler at the 1992 NCAA tournament. His twin brother, Terry, was also an Olympic medalist and a standout at Iowa.

Internationally, Brands won a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in freestyle at 136.6 pounds; a gold medal at the 1993 World Freestyle Championships in Toronto; two World Cup gold medals (1994 and 1995); and the gold at the 1995 Pan American Games. He won four U.S. Nationals titles (1993–96) and made four straight U.S. World or Olympic teams (1993–96). He was named 1993 USA Wrestling Athlete of the Year, 1993 John Smith Outstanding Freestyle Wrestler, and 1993 Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 2001.