Takedown Report

Abbott Blog: I would come back to Estonia again with my family (in the summer)

TDR ; As always good writing and insights by Gary Abbott.
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BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING | August 18 – Many of us who have made a career in international sport have travelled to all kinds of places on the globe for competitions. Although I don’t travel nearly as much as many of our coaches, I have been blessed to have been to every continent except Africa and Antartica. Some of the places we have been are amazing; others, not so much. One of my problems is that when I go to all these countries, I often spend most of my time in gymnasiums and hotels. Wrestling tournaments take a long time, plus we try to do as much coverage as possible of the athletes and teams, and that also takes a lot of time. I don’t get to do much sightseeing, because, honestly, we are here on business. 

I had a chance to steal a few moments during the Junior Worlds to check out some of Tallinn. Most people may not consider Estonia as a tourist destination, but from my small sampling, this is a place I would consider spending a little time on vacation with my family. Thursday morning before weigh-ins at the Hestia Europa Hotel, I went a little early and walked along the docks in the harbor. It wasn’t a long walk, but was very good for the soul. I shot some pictures of the various boats in the marina, and walked down far enough to get a good photo of a massive cruise ship docked nearby. I got a neat shot of an old man fishing off the pier. Those are the kind of scenes you can find in cities on an ocean or a major sea.
Because the two-day tournament format, the last day is much shorter. There is only repechage and medal matches in the final five weight classes in Greco-Roman on Sunday. The hosts were smart enough to put those sessions in the late afternoon and in the evening, giving everybody the morning off. Some people may have chosen to sleep in. Instead I got up around the normal time, had some breakfast, and set off on a short adventure. Judi Tekautz, the team trainer who hails from Minnesota, agreed to bring me around Tallinn Old Town, which she had visited a few times already. Rest of the story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/August/11/Abbott-Blog-Junior-Worlds?mc_cid=c5b71cd582&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

August 18, 2019 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized