Slain Wrestler Still Playing Big Part In Olympics Schultz Is Far From Forgotten As Old Rival, Monday, Renews Quest For Olympic Gold

Kenny Monday vividly recalls Dave Schultz greeting his comeback with a smile, a joking comment and the shared recognition of the renewed rivalry ahead.

Now, Monday begins his third Olympics trying to block out such bittersweet memories of his slain teammate.

“I don’t know how I’ll feel until I get out there and start competing,” said Monday, who has his first match in the 163-pound freestyle wrestling class today, as does superheavyweight Bruce Baumgartner.

Baumgartner, 35, the U.S. Olympic team’s opening-ceremony flagbearer, has two golds and a silver and will try to become the first freestyle wrestler to medal in four Olympics.

Monday, 34, won gold in 1988 and silver in 1992. He left the sport after Barcelona, returned home to Tulsa, Okla., and set up business with a sandwich shop and a gourmet coffee outlet.

But the chance to compete in the Olympics on U.S. soil lured him back.

“It’s been a pretty long journey,” said Monday, who had hard training after getting “full of gourmet coffee and sandwiches. It’s been a pretty difficult journey.”

He was greeted warmly by Schultz when he went to Phoenix to begin training last year.

“Dave was always kind of joking. He said, ‘So Monday, you’re back to harass me some more, huh?”’ Monday recalled.

“Dave and I go way back. I learned a lot from Dave. We had a good relationship. It was an intense rivalry, and we drove each other to new heights.”

Schultz, a 1984 gold medalist, was gunned down last Jan. 26 on the Foxcatcher estate of chemical heir John E. du Pont. Du Pont was charged with firstdegree murder after a two-day standoff with police.

Schultz was the top-ranked American wrestler in the 163-pound class at the time.

“Sometimes, it’s disturbing,” Monday said of questions or comments he gets here about Schultz. “You take it and do the very best you can.

“But we all had to pretty much put it behind us and get on with our training. I dealt with it the first few weeks after it happened. We talked through it.

“There’s enough pressure as it is, just competing in the Olympics and representing your country. I don’t mind that pressure. I embrace it.”

Also today, Dan O’Brien will face the pressure of the pole vault, where his stunning failure to make his a height in the 1992 U.S. trials kept him off the Olympic team. The pole vault is the eighth event in the two-day decathlon, with the grueling 1,500 meters the 10th and final event.

“I’m trying not to give the pole vault much thought at all,” O’Brien said. “But once I get the pole in my hand, I’ll be aggressive.”

Michael Johnson will try to reach his goal of becoming the first man to earn 200-400 double gold in the finals of the 200 meters.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee, forced out of the heptathlon because of a thigh injury, will return today for long jump preliminaries.

At Athens, Ga., the U.S. women’s soccer team faces China in the gold medal game.

The U.S. baseball team sends Kennesaw, Ga., native Kris Benson against Japan in semifinal play after defending champion Cuba plays Nicaragua.

There are boxing semifinals, with American heavyweight Nate Jones, middleweight Rhoshii Wells and lightweight Terrance Cauthen fighting. And the U.S. men’s basketball team has a semifinal game against Australia, which surprised Toni Kukoc’s Croatia team in the quarterfinals.