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January 30–February 6, 1997
hit and run
Not Giving His du
Label Bulgarian wrestler Valentin Jordanov a fickle friend. At least to John E. du Pont, Jordanov's longtime benefactor and occasional sparring partner.
Before du Pont killed Dave Schultz in front of his wife and bodyguard in January 1996, Jordanov enjoyed a good life on du Pont's 800-acre Foxcatcher estate in Newtown. So much that the seven-time world champion at 114.5 pounds lived on the estateafter Schultz was killed. While lawyers clashed over the extent of du Pont's madness and his ability to know right from wrong, Jordanov continued to train himself and other Team Foxcatcher wrestlers in preparation for last summer's Olympic games.
Jordanov, also known as Dimitrov, even returned to Foxcatcher from Atlanta after winning the freestyle wrestling gold medal for his native Bulgaria.
In mid-December, though, Jordanov fled Newtown, grabbing a flight back to the old country and leaving wife Zdravka Dimitrov behind. Jordanov's departure came three weeks before the start of du Pont's trial last week. Jordanov's vanishing act leavesdu Pont's lawyers with one less witness for a difficult defense.
"Jordanov was up [at Foxcatcher] until the holidays," says lead defense attorney Thomas Bergstrom. "He's gone now."
Wrestling officials at the "Federation Bulgare de Luttee Amateur" confirmed Jordanov's presence in Bulgaria at the beginning of January but said the wrestler would not return calls. Zdravka Dimitrov also says Jordanov will not return totestify.
With that, Jordanov leaves behind one large unanswered question. Why did the unbalanced "Dalai Lama of the United States" repeatedly ask police for Jordanov during his two-day siege at Foxcatcher? At one point, du Pont told police he wouldleave his mansion dressed in "my Bulgarian colors." But only if he could meet up with a "workout partner."
"That would be Mr. Jordanov," du Pont said.
During opening arguments this week, Delaware County prosecutors speculated that du Pont killed Schultz in a jealous rage. First Assistant District Attorney Joseph McGettigan suggested that du Pont envied the budding friendship between the Bulgarianand American heroes.
— Scott Farmelant
