On August 7th 1992, Chris Campbell of Fayetteville won a bronze medal in the 198-pound freestyle event during the Barcelona Olympics, becoming the oldest wrestler in United States Olympic history to win a medal. Campbell was 37 years old at the time and worked as a corporate attorney for Carrier Corporation. When Campbell returned home to Syracuse, a crowd of people greeted him at Hancock International Airport and later that month a celebration was held in Fayetteville in his honor. The Mayor of Fayetteville declared August 23, 1992 “Chris Campbell Day” as friends, family, and community members celebrated his accomplishment.
According to Sean Kirst, 12 years earlier, Chris Campbell missed a chance at Olympic gold when the United States boycotted the Moscow games.