Ludwig David "Lou" Banach (born February 6, 1960) [1] is an American athlete who won a gold medal in wrestling in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He was noted with his fraternal twin brother Ed Banach for both winning gold medals in freestyle wrestling at the same Olympics.

Lou was a state high school champion at Port Jervis, N.Y., and won two Big Ten titles with a collegiate career record of 90-14-2. His first trip to the NCAA finals ended in victory by a fall over Bruce Baumgartner, who became an American legend in World and Olympic competition.

2025年2月6日 · The Banach brothers—Ed, Lou and Steve—stand as a testament to how hardship can forge unbreakable bonds and lead to extraordinary success. Their journey from personal tragedy to Olympic glory is not just about wrestling but about resilience, faith, and the power of family that propelled them forward.

2006年8月13日 · Ed Banach, and his twin brother, Lou, were the two most imposing wrestlers in Port Jervis history when they graduated in 1978. They made Iowa the college wrestling program the...

2006年8月11日 · Lou Banach won an Olympic gold medal, but he couldn't make the Port Jervis varsity wrestling team as a sophomore. Banach finally cracked the lineup in his junior year.

Lou and Ed both wrestled at the University of Iowa, where Lou won NCAA titles inn 1981 and 1983. After the 1984 Olympics he ended his competitive career and joined the US Army as a second lieutenant, coaching at the US Military Academy at West Point.

Not only did the one-two punch provided by Lou and twin brother Ed lift Iowa wrestling to new heights of achievement and excitement, it also brought the USA a double harvest of gold in the 1984 Olympics. Banach was a two-time NCAA champion at Iowa, 1981 and '83, and a three-time All-American, placing third as a junior.

Complete career senior level wrestling record for Lou Banach. Includes matches wrestled, win percentage, pins, techs, wins, and losses.

Lou Banach High School: Port Jervis, New York 3-Time All-American. All-Americans; NCAA Records; HOF Awards; Rankings