John Allan Peterson (born October 22, 1948) is an American former wrestler and Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling.

Wrestling career

Peterson grew up in Comstock, Wisconsin, attending nearby Cumberland High School before graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in 1971. He would place fifth at the 1971 NAIA Men's Wrestling Championships as a collegiate wrestler, before jumping levels the following year to make the 1972 USA freestyle wrestling team, where he earned a silver medal in the 82 kg weight class. At the following 1976 Summer Olympics, he won the gold medal at 82 kg. Peterson's younger brother, Ben Peterson, also competed in both the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics as a freestyle wrestler, winning a gold medal in 1972 and silver medal in 1976. In 1986, Peterson was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member.