Melvin L. Douglas III (born August 21, 1963) of

Topeka, Kansas Topeka ( ; Kansa language, Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the Capital (political), capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the County seat, seat of Shawnee County, Kansas, Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the ...

is an American wrestler who was the 1993 World Champion, and made six World championship teams for the United States, including appearances at two Olympic games, and was a two-time NCAA Division I Champion for the University of Oklahoma. In 2013, Douglas was inducted into the

National Wrestling Hall of Fame The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum and hall of fame for amateur wrestling, headquartered in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 2010, it began operating the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. History The museum was awarded to Stillw ...

as a Distinguished Member.

High school

In 1979, 1980 and 1981, Douglas won the

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

state championship at Highland Park High School in

. Douglas was also a USA Junior Freestyle national champion in 1981, after his senior season of high school.

College

While at

The University of Oklahoma , mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State" , type = Public research university , established = , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.7billion (2021) , pr ...

, Douglas was a four-time All-American and won the

NCAA championship The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...

in 1985 and 1986 at 177 pounds.

International

Douglas represented the United States in the FILA World Championships six times, and won the 1993 world championship at 90 kg.Archived a
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Douglas won silver in 1989 and third in 1994 and '95. Douglas competed in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta where he placed seventh (with a 3–2 record) at 90 kg. He also qualified for the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia at 97 kg, finishing in 18th place.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas, Melvin 1963 births Living people Olympic wrestlers for the United States Wrestlers at the 1996 Summer Olympics Wrestlers at the 2000 Summer Olympics American male sport wrestlers World Wrestling Championships medalists Oklahoma Sooners wrestlers Wrestlers at the 1995 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1995 Pan American Games Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in wrestling 20th-century American people