Takedown Report

International Wrestling News (2021) – # 6

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Stories of human interest from the Olympic Team Trials and other activities from the USA International teams. Also included are some stories about Olympic qualifiers from other nations. Keep wrestling onward! Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – USA WRESTLING RELEASES NEW GRECO-ROMAN MENTORSHIP PROGRAM VIDEO SERIES WITH HOST CHAEL SONNEN; EPISODE 1 FEATURING GRECO-ROMAN TEAM LEADER JOHN BARDIS OUT NOW!
USA Wrestling is excited to announce a new video series in collaboration with MMA icon and former Greco-Roman National Team member Chael Sonnen. The series features Sonnen interviewing members of the recently-formed Greco-Roman Olympian Coach-Mentor program, which consists of 35 individuals, including Sonnen, who are deeply connected to the sport. The mentorship group is composed of former Olympic and World Team athletes and coaches who will work with current Greco-Roman athletes to help prepare them to take on the best international wrestlers in the world.

In the first episode, Sonnen, a 2000 World University Championships silver medalist and former UFC title contender, interviews John Bardis, the Greco-Roman Team Leader for the Tokyo Olympic Games. Bardis previously served as Team Leader for the Greco-Roman program during the Beijing Olympic quadrennial from 2005-2008, and under his leadership Team USA earned their first Greco-Roman World title in 2007. He is a driving force behind the creation and implementation of the mentorship program. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/22/Bardis-and-Sonnen?mc_cid=7490ba8a46&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – WIBN Philly Webinar: Bill Zadick, 2006 World Champion and Team USA men’s freestyle coach – SOW11
On March 11, World Champion and current Team USA Men’s Freestyle wrestling coach Bill Zadick joined the Philadelphia Chapter of the Wrestlers in Business Network for a virtual speaking engagement. Zadick discussed the landscape of freestyle wrestling, the rise back to prominence for Team USA, how he’s worked with a network of coaches around the country to build the team and how his day-to-day operations as a national team coach compare and contrast to working in business.

Zadick also talks about his career as a wrestler and what’s driven him as a coach heading into the next Olympic cycle. He’s also talked about being a new father and how the work-life balance is important in the high pressure world of coaching. … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/state-of-wrestling/wibn-philly-webinar-bill-zadick-2006-world-champion-and-team-usa-mens-freestyle-coach-sow11/?mc_cid=44df579129&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – NATIONAL TEAM COACHES TERRY STEINER AND BILL ZADICK HEADLINE EPISODE 3 OF HEADS UP – A USAW COACHES COUNCIL PODCAST
National Women’s Freestyle Coach Terry Steiner and National Men’s Freestyle Coach Bill Zadick join Mike Hagerty and Mike Clayton on the third episode of the Heads Up – A USA Wrestling Coaches Council podcast. The pair discuss the upcoming Olympic Team Trials in depth and give some insight about the challenges that come with leading their respective programs. Watch the full episode … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/31/National-Coaches-Terry-Steiner-and-Bill-Zadick-hedaline-episode-3-of-Heads-Up?mc_cid=8b7957ea1f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – Pan American Wrestling Championships moved from Rio to Guatemala City
This year’s Pan American Wrestling Championships have been moved from Rio de Janeiro to Guatemala City as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. United World Wrestling (UWW) confirmed the switch after the Brazilian Wrestling Federation reported concerns about the country’s COVID-19 situation. Brazil has witnessed a surge in coronavirus cases, with more than 42,000 confirmed yesterday.

There were nearly 2,000 deaths – more than reported in any other country in the world. Overall, Brazil has reported more than 12 million cases and more than 314,000 people have died. It means that holding the Pan American Championships in the 2016 Olympic host city has proved impossible. Rising COVID-19 cases in Brazil mean the event cannot be held in the 2016 Olympic host city ©Getty Images

Guatemala City has been chosen as the replacement after the country’s sanitary protocols were presented to the Executive Committee of the UWW Bureau. The dates for the competition will remain the same – May 27 to 30. Four editions of the Championships have previously been held in Guatemala City – in 1993 and then three consecutive editions in 2003, 2004 and 2005. … rest of story at https://www.insidethegames.biz/index.php/articles/1106049/pan-american-wrestling-guatemala?mc_cid=44df579129&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Just Before The Trials, Spencer Woods Shares Personal Look At Alaska
The 2020 US Olympic Trials for Greco-Roman wrestling are less than two days away and Spencer Woods (87 kg, Army/WCAP, 5PM #9) wants to spread a little love…while also setting the record straight.
Woods — who qualified for the Trials back in the fall of ’19 by placing second at the Bill Farrell Memorial in NYC — has on numerous occasions proudly shared his Alaskan heritage (material to that effect can be found both here and here). He also calls himself “The Alaskan Assassin”, a not-so-subtle arrow pointing to his upbringing. But now that he is on the cusp of appearing in the biggest tournament of his career thus far, the 22-year-old wants to take it a step further; and the beginning of the pandemic over one year ago is actually when it all started.

Woods was still a student at Northern Michigan University when COVID first swung like a hammer and wrecked everything in its path. Schools were promptly shut down, … rest of story at http://www.fivepointmove.com/army-wcap/spencer-woods-alaska-video/?mc_cid=8b7957ea1f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – J’DEN COX IS NOT ENTERED IN U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS – WRESTLING
FORT WORTH, Texas – J’den Cox (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC) missed weight and will not compete at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Under the rules of the event, Cox has been removed from the bracket at 97 kg in men’s freestyle, where he was entered pending weigh in. He had earned a spot in the semifinals, based upon winning a 2019 World medal in a non-Olympic weight class (92 kg). The bracket for that weight class has been adjusted. Cox was a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and 2017 World bronze medalist at 86 kg, then won consecutive World titles in 2018 and 2019 at 92 kg. He was a three-time NCAA champion at Missouri, and … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/April/02/97-kg?mc_cid=b369974b64&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And J’den Cox says Olympic Wrestling Trials removal due to miscommunication
World champion J’den Cox said he was removed from the Olympic Wrestling Trials before they began after his coach told him the wrong time window for weigh-ins. Cox “missed weight,” according to USA Wrestling’s announcement that Cox was out of Trials after Friday morning’s weigh-ins. Cox, a 2016 Olympic 86kg freestyle bronze medalist, was taken out of Friday’s bracket. He had been slated to wrestle Friday for a place in Saturday’s 97kg finals against Olympic champion Kyle Snyder. “I was informed with the wrong times of when weigh-ins were supposed to be, … rest of story at https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2021/04/03/jden-cox-wrestling-olympic-trials/?mc_cid=7136a52740&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – 2021 Olympic Team Trials Challenge Tournament Results and Finals Matchups
Aside from the drama surrounding the weigh-in status of two-time world champion and 2016 Olympian bronze medalist, J’Den Cox, the morning session at the Olympic Trials generally went according to plan. Most knew that would not be the case in the evening session. The semifinals and challenge tournament finals featured some of the best action of the day and a handful of upsets.

Perhaps the bracket with the most chaos was 65 kg in the men’s freestyle division. Both 2019 Final X participants, Zain Retherford and Yianni Diakomihalis, were upset victims in the semis. Retherford fell to 2019 NCAA runner-up, Joey McKenna, in a shootout that saw McKenna capitalize and score exposure points on Retherford’s offensive attempts. Diakomihalis was defeated by former training partner Jordan Oliver. The two-time national champion from Oklahoma State rallied late in the second period and grabbed a single leg and ran Diakomihalis out of bounds for a step-out point. The tipped criteria in Oliver’s favor with only six seconds remaining in the bout. Since no one is waiting in the Trials finals at 65 kg, both advanced without competing in the challenge tournament finals.

The most anticipated bout of the entire tournament is officially set as Kyle Dake dominated Jason Nolf 11-0 in the challenge tournament finals. That sets up another chapter in the rivalry between Dake and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs. … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24488?mc_cid=b369974b64&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS SESSION III DRAMA: NATIONAL TEAM BERTHS FOR GRABS, RETIREMENTS AND SPECTACULAR WRESTLING
FORT WORTH, Texas — Saturday’s Session 3 of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling at Dickies Arena might seem to the uninitiated like a perfunctory procedure to establish the top three places.
In reality, it’s much, much more. A third-place finish at the Trials is significant. It triggers funded access to the Olympic Training Center and, more importantly, access to reimbursed travel opportunities that far outweigh the stipend an athlete would receive. But, just like any tournament, the back side of the bracket is a grind.

Saturday had its share of forfeits, as injuries piled up and desire drained after the dream of a trip to the Tokyo Olympic Games had evaporated. On this day, though, there was plenty of high-level action, which elicited oohs and aahs from the limited crowd. Of the many storylines that emerged, argubably none was more compelling than the journey of one Benji Peak (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club). Seeded No. 11 out of 12 wrestlers at 67 kg Greco-Roman, Peak first piqued the interest of the crowd by rolling to successive 9-0, 8-0, 9-0 wins to earn a berth in the challenge tournament final.

While he couldn’t quite complete that magical mystery tour, falling 7-3 to Ellis Coleman (Army World Class Athlete Program), he awaited the third-place finisher in the back side of the bracket. That turned out to be Xavier Johnson (All-Marine Wrestling Team). In a true second-place bout, since the two hadn’t met previously in the Trials, Peak was high-flying again, running away with a 9-1 win. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/April/03/OTT-Session-3-wrap?mc_cid=7136a52740&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – My First Olympic Trials
I remember it like it was yesterday. The date was June 8th, 2019. For those wrestling fans that recall dates and times in reference to notable wrestling events, like I do, it was Final X Rutgers. As the best-of-three finals were wrapping up, other media members and I were hustling to and from the interview area underneath the bleachers of the RAC and back to the matside area. As new world team members were minted, we conducted interviews with the winners, then scurried back to catch the bout that followed. During one of the few breaks in this cycle, I noticed a wrestler sitting with his back against the bleachers, singlet straps pulled down, and head in hands. It was Ben Provisor who had just dropped a second match in a brutal, slugfest to Joe Rau for the 87 kg Greco-Roman world team spot.

As the two-time Olympian Provisor was having his moment to reconcile the loss and process the thought of another opportunity for a world-level medal slip away, a little girl approached. It was Ben’s daughter who appeared to be four or five years old. First, she gave him a few taps on the shoulder of encouragement then jumped in for a huge embrace. It was a sight. I didn’t want to look, but it was beautiful in an eerie sort of way. This little girl is helping console her father, probably her superhero, as his professional dreams were shattered. While I physically moved on to the next finals bout, this remarkable image was stamped in my mind. I’m sure there have been hundreds of times in the past (and probably the future) where this muscle-bound, long-haired, world-class athlete has picked up his crying daughter to comfort her; just this time, the roles were reversed.

Later in the day, I recounted this moment to one of my colleagues in the wrestling media. All they could reply with was, “Wait until the Olympic Trials.” Those five words echoed in my head for the remainder of Final X and stuck with me in the 22 months since. … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24490?mc_cid=7136a52740&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – #OLYMPIANSMADEHERE: U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS –WRESTLING ENTRIES, BY COLLEGE PROGRAM
As part of USA Wrestling’s celebration of the legacy of college wrestling in the Olympic movement, we are partnering with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the NCAA, and individual conferences and institutions in the #OlympiansMadeHere program. College wrestling has made a lasting impact on the U.S. Olympic movement and continues to do so today. In that vein, we run a list of athletes who will compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling in Fort Worth, Texas, April 2-3, broken down by the college that they attended.

The university with the most past or current wrestlers in the Trials is Northern Michigan, which has 24 students who have participated in their National Training Site for Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling in the past. These athletes were college student-athletes, but not in the NCAA or another national college organization. (However, starting next year, Northern Michigan will have a varsity women’s wrestling team).

The varsity men’s team with the most entries in the competition is Penn State, with 12 athletes, all who are competing in men’s freestyle, including some past athletes and some of their current student athletes. Two NCAA-affiliated programs have the most women athletes … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/31/US-Olympic-Team-Trials-field-by-college-attended?mc_cid=8b7957ea1f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Humanity Shines Through at Olympic Team Trials
I walked down as close to the floor as possible Saturday night to get one last picture of Dickies Arena before the finals began. Before leaving, I took a few brief moments to soak it in and appreciate the human moments that this event brought us over two days. So many of our top athletes had their dreams shattered this weekend, some for the first time and some for the last. But through the tears and agony that showed on their faces, a light shined through.

This light provided many moments where we could see who these athletes really are. Sometimes we as fans get caught up in the competition and the tribal-like mentality of rooting for teams or clubs and we miss these moments because they don’t align with our fandom. One of the many examples of this is wrestlers who just took tough, heartbreaking losses who were happy to give out pictures and autographs to any young fan that was brave enough to walk to the edge of the aisle and ask. Others took countless pictures, shook hands, and signed shirts and programs while in the stands with their families. Those lucky enough to score pictures and other prizes were smiling big enough to light up the 14,000-seat arena on their own.

One family sat right in front of me during the consolations and encouraged their young son and daughter to go down and get as many autographs as possible. … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24497?mc_cid=69381deb62&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – Algeria Claims Four Berths as Six Countries Qualify for Tokyo Olympics
HAMMAMET, Tunisia (April 4) — Six countries combined to secure the 12 Olympic berths in men’s freestyle that were on the line on the final day of the African and Oceania Olympic Qualifier on Sunday. Algeria led the way by capturing four quotas while Egypt, Tunisia and Guinea-Bissau claimed two each. Senegal and Nigeria also registered their names by claiming a berth each for the Tokyo Olympics. Four wrestlers who punched their tickets to Tokyo for Algeria were Abdelhak KHERBACHE (57kg), Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (86kg), Mohammed FARDJ (97kg) and Djahid BERRAHAL (125kg).

However, the Algerian quartet in the finals failed to win a gold medal on Sunday and had to be content with four silver medals. The result came back to hurt them as they let the team title slip from their hands. Egypt edged host nation Tunisia for the freestyle team title despite both countries having 105 points. The former had two gold medal finishes compared to the one of Tunisia. Amr HUSSEN (EGY) led his country’s charge as he defeated three-time Olympian Augusto MIDANA … rest of story at https://uww.org/article/algeria-claims-four-berths-six-countries-qualify-tokyo-olympics?mc_cid=7136a52740&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Tunisia Takes Quartet of Olympic Berths, Nigeria Nabs Trio of Tokyo Spots
HAMMAMET, Tunisia (April 3) — For the second time in as many days, the host nation of the African and Oceania Olympic Qualifier earned four Olympic berths. On Saturday, Rio Olympic bronze medalist Marwa AMRI (TUN) assisted her country in winning three gold medals and a silver and grabbed the team title 45 points ahead of second-place Nigeria, who earned three women’s wrestling Olympic berths on the day. Sarra HAMDI (TUN), Siwar BOUSETA (TUN) and Marwa AMRI (TUN) won golds at 50kg, 57kg and 62kg, while Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) won silver at 76kg.

Bouseta’s gold came in the traditional 57kg bracket, while Hamdi and Amri won Nordic style bracket gold medals. The two-time African medalist breezed to the semifinal and final wins over Eman EBRAHIM (EGY) and Fatoumata Yarie CAMARA (GUI). In the semifinals, Bouseta controlled the match whistle-to-whistle with a two-on-one, scored two takedowns, two exposures and a reversal, and cruised to a 9-2 victory over the Egyptian. Then, in the finals, the long and lengthy Tunisian capitalized on her Guinean opponent’s mistakes with eight counter-offensive points and eased her way to a 57kg gold with a 9-3 victory.
Hamdi and Adijat IDRIS (NGR) came into their fourth-round matches with 3-0 records, but the Tunisian took the 50kg gold with a narrow 2-1 victory. Amri, the most decorated African women’s wrestler ever, punched her fourth ticket to the Olympic Games … rest of story at https://uww.org/article/tunisia-takes-quartet-olympic-berths-nigeria-nabs-trio-tokyo-spots?mc_cid=7136a52740&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And NORTH KOREA WITHDRAWS FROM 2020 OLYMPICS IN TOKYO; TWO NORTH KOREAN WOMEN’S FREESTYLE BERTHS TO BE AFFECTED
International media reported today that North Korea has withdrawn from the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. North Korea is reportedly the first nation to pull out of the Games. This will affect the sport of wrestling, as North Korea has qualified in two women’s weight classes, and would have had an opportunity to add more during the Asian Olympic Qualifier in Almaty, Kazakhstan this weekend (April 9-11).

INSIDE THE GAMES: North Korea withdraws from Tokyo 2020 over COVID-19 fears by Dan Palmer
North Korea has withdrawn from Tokyo 2020 after the country cited coronavirus fears. A statement on the secretive state’s official Sports in the DPRK Korea website said authorities want to “protect athletes”. The country has become the first to pull out of the rearranged Tokyo 2020 because of COVID-19. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/April/06/North-Korea-out-of-Tokyo-Olympics-two-womens-wrestling-berths-affected?mc_cid=c3ca94c3de&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – Why Greco Matters
The 2021 US Olympic Team Trials was a very exciting event, bringing all three wrestling styles together in Texas to determine who will compete for the US in Tokyo. Many of us were excited to see the highly anticipated battle between Kyle Dake and Jordan Burroughs, and J’Den Cox clash Kyle Snyder in a meeting of 2016 Olympic medalists. 2021 also brought the return of Helen Maroulis to top form. However, how many fans looked forward to the Alejandro Sancho/Ellis Coleman final or G’Angelo Hancock taking on young upstart Braxton Amos in Greco? Before the US Olympic Trials, how many casual wrestling fans even knew who these Greco guys were?

For me, a high school wrestling coach for the past twenty-three years and a diehard Greco-Roman coach, the Olympic Trials were truly exciting; a change of the guard at some weights and the culmination of a few careers. I rejoiced with 87 kg winner John Stefanowicz, the guy who never made it to the Regional tournament in high school, and shed a tear watching Joe Rau and Jon Anderson leave their shoes on the mat, symbolizing their retirement from the sport. While some fans were intrigued by Stefanowicz’s story or hung on Hancock’s every point, most clamored for the freestyle guys to take the mat. This has been the story of Greco-Roman wrestling in the US: the often forgotten, middle child between Men’s freestyle and Women’s freestyle. As the middle child, we know Greco-Roman wrestling is there, but it is often overlooked. Wrestling people know Greco exists, … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24499?mc_cid=69381deb62&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

April 25, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment