Takedown Report

International Wrestling News (2021) – # 9

TDR Editor’s Notes ; The interest and news coverage of International styles of wrestling heats up as the wrestlers and teams gear up for the Olympics in August. These Olympics have been delayed a year which has increased the time span since the last Olympics in 2016. The coverage below has some news of wrestlers from other countries but mostly involves USA wrestlers involved in the international styles of Freestyle and Greco-Roman while in the states and abroad. Keep wrestling on … to Tokyo! E-mail us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com Blog # 2938 (6/25/21)
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1 } – LEGENDARY OLYMPIC WRESTLER BRUCE BAUMGARTNER GIVES SPEECH AT U.S. OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC MUSEUM
Bruce Baumgartner, a two-time Olympic champion, four-time Olympic medalist, three-time World champion and 13-time World-level medalist made an appearance at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs on April 9, 2021. Baumgartner is one of just two wrestlers who are members of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. He served as flagbearer for the U.S. delegation at the 1996 Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games. He is currently president of USA Wrestling. Baumgartner gave a short speech and answered many questions from members of the museum, including many local Olympic and wrestling fans. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/April/28/Baumgartner-USOPM-speech?mc_cid=db281dc0f1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – An Olympic Dream Dashed by a Nasal Swab
Qualifying for the Games can be the achievement of a lifetime. In the coronavirus era, though, that opportunity can vanish without warning. Two years ago, Nick Suriano put his life on hold to chase an Olympic dream. A national collegiate champion in wrestling, Suriano took a year off from competing for Rutgers to prepare for the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. After the Games were postponed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, Suriano doubled down, skipping another year of college and moving to Phoenix from his home in New Jersey to join a special training group. For eight months, he thought of little besides maintaining his health and claiming a place on the United States team … rest of story at https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/03/sports/olympics/Olympics-coronavirus.html?mc_cid=2136f7bdf1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – NLWC excels at Olympic Trials
Note: This article appeared in the May 5, 2021 issue of WIN Magazine. Click here of call 888-305-0606 to subscribe.

By Mike Finn Mount Nittany is a common site for the folks of State College, Pa., as the 2,077-foot geographic landmark is a nostalgic landmark for Penn State fans to admire and has served as a backdrop to Penn State’s athletic legacy. This large hill, which sits east of this community, might also be a good place for the folks of “Happy Valley” to erect a statue to honor Nittany Lions athletes … and a perfect sport to feature would be wrestling. During the 12 years that coach Cael Sanderson and staff have been at Penn State, no other sport has been “kings of the mountain” in terms of national success like the wrestling team. (Penn State’s men’s gymnastics team has won 12 NCAA titles, the last in 2007.) … rest of story at https://www.win-magazine.com/2021/05/05/kings-of-the-mountain/?mc_cid=2f6eda67bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b#utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kings-of-the-mountain

4 } – Evloev Captures Gold as Russia Clean Sweeps Euros

WARSAW, Poland (April 25) — Musa EVLOEV (RUS) is quickly establishing himself as one of the Greco-Roman greats around the world. Ever since he captured the World title in 2018, he continues to rise to the top and on Sunday, he took another step in that direction, winning his second European title at 97kg as the senior continental Championships came to a close in Warsaw, Poland. The 28-year-old wrestled in the final bout of the day and it wasn’t even a match. Veteran Balazs KISS (HUN) tried to give a fight but Evloev was in no mood to waste time. With a series of par terre rolls, Evloev captured the gold medal with a 10-0 win in just one minute and 33 seconds. His gold confirmed the team title for Russia as it clean swept the Championships, … rest of story at https://uww.org/article/evloev-captures-gold-russia-clean-sweeps-euros?mc_cid=9e2c82acd7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Olympic Trials finalist Joey McKenna of the Pennsylvania RTC – OTM632
Joey McKenna goes On The Mat Joey McKenna’s had an up-and-down path through senior-level wrestling. From reaching Final X to not qualifying for the World Team Trials to reaching the Olympic Trials finals, he’s got an interesting path. A three-time NCAA All-American at Stanford and Ohio State, McKenna now represents the Pennsylvania RTC. Join Kyle Klingman and Andy Hamilton as they talk about the world of wrestling on the flagship podcast of Trackwrestling.com.  … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/trackwrestling/on-the-mat/olympic-trials-finalist-joey-mckenna-of-the-pennsylvania-rtc-otm632/?mc_cid=391a23a860&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – Jordan Burroughs opens up about loss at U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials
For the first time since making his Olympic debut in 2012, Jordan Burroughs will not be representing the United States at the Summer Games. The 32-year-old, who won the gold in London at 74 kilograms by defeating Iran’s Sadegh Goudarzi, fell to Kyle Dake at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials, ending his hopes of redemption after an early exit at the Rio Games in 2016. Just under three weeks after his loss to Dake, Burroughs sat down with USA Wrestling and opened up about the aftermath of the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials and how he’s been handling the defeat to Dake. You can watch the full interview here, courtesy of USA Wrestling. “I just took some time off,” said Burroughs. “I think that after every competition you want to take some time to reflect, but particularly after one of that magnitude. So just took some time off, spent some time with my family, just kind of got away from it all. “I think a lot of times our failures are so public. We live under a microscope, … rest of story at https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/jordan-burroughs-opens-about-loss-us-olympic-wrestling-trials?mc_cid=9e2c82acd7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

AND – JORDAN BURROUGHS SITS DOWN WITH USA WRESTLING WHILE AT OLYMPIC TEAM TRAINING CAMP
By Interview by Taylor Miller, USA Wrestling | April 23, 2021, 12:53 p.m. (ET) 2012 Olympic champion and four-time World champion Jordan Burroughs represented the United States at 74 kg at the World Championships and Olympic Games every year since 2011. This year, he suffered his first World/Olympic Team Trials defeat, falling to two-time World champion at 79 kg Kyle Dake in the best-of-three championship series at the 2021 Olympic Team Trials in Fort Worth, Texas. Burroughs sat down with USA Wrestling this week while attending the Olympic Team Training Camp in Colorado Springs in his first interview since the Trials. He discusses dealing with the loss as well as his future in wrestling. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/April/23/Jordan-Burroughs-sits-down-with-USA-Wrestling-while-at-Olympic-Team-Training-Camp?mc_cid=391a23a860&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – OLYMPIAN AND WORLD CHAMP WINCHESTER, WORLD MEDALISTS GREEN, LAMPE, GWIAZDOWSKI AMONG ENTRIES AT SENIOR NATIONALS
The 2021 international wrestling season features both an Olympic Games in Tokyo and a Senior World Championships in Oslo during the same year. Although the U.S. Olympic Team Trials is already in the history books, there will still need to be a Senior World Team Trials held in September in the 10 World Championship weight classes in each style to set the Oslo team. As part of the qualification process for the Senior World Team Trials, USA Wrestling is hosting a 2021 Senior Nationals this weekend in Coralville, Iowa. Not only are national titles up for grabs, but the top five place winners in each weight class qualify for the World Team Trials. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/April/27/Stars-entered-in-Senior-Nationals?mc_cid=c1dee7f2bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – World Olympic Games Qualifier Entries
SOFIA, Bulgaria (April 28) — The final qualification event for the Tokyo Olympic Games, the World Olympic Games Qualifier, kicks off next Thursday (May 6-9) in Sofia, Bulgaria, and is set to welcome 474 athletes from 84 different nations.  Coming into Sofia, 14/16 Olympic licenses have been claimed. Wrestlers who reach the finals in their respective weight classes punch their nations tickets to August’s Tokyo Olympic Games. … rest of story at https://uww.org/article/world-olympic-games-qualifier-entries?mc_cid=8c1db46849&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – J’den Cox drops Olympic wrestling appeal, plans to ‘bring the wrath of God’ on the mat

J’den Cox has had a month to digest missing the weigh-in deadline at the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials, where he was one of the stars as a reigning Olympic medalist and two-time world champion. He has since dropped his appeal, spoken out in support of his Olympic champion coach — who told him the wrong time for weigh-ins — and seen others in the wrestling community and on social media turn their backs on him. “I looked K.J. in his eyes, and I promised him,” Cox said on the Inside Mizzou Athletics podcast of his coach, Kevin Jackson, “I’m going to bring the wrath of God on these people. The wrath of God.”

Cox later conversed with U.S. national team coach Bill Zadick. “I’m here to destroy people’s lives now,” Cox said he told Zadick. “I’m here to take people out. I’m here to tear up the world. It’s not out of spite. It’s not out of vengeance. It’s just what will be. It’s to prove to everyone what I’ve known and to prove and show what’s been shown in the last two years, that I’m the best wrestler in the world. … rest of story at https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2021/05/06/jden-cox-wrestling-trials-appeal-weight/?mc_cid=987a3385bf&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Johnny Stefanowicz: From Bel Air To U.S. Marine Corps To Olympic Wrestler
Future Olympian Johnny Stefanowicz began wrestling at the age of 4 in Bel Air, Md., and remained in the Baltimore area until seventh grade. Now, he will be part of U.S. Greco-Roman wrestling team that will compete in the 2021 Summer Games in Tokyo. To clinch his spot on the team, Stefanowicz won the Olympic trials at 87 kilograms (or 192 pounds), sweeping the top seed Joe Rau in the finals in Fort Worth, Texas, in April. That marked the latest step in a journey which began with Stefanowicz wrestling at a young age and then found him transitioning into the U.S. Marine Corps. With the Marine Corps, Stefanowicz’s wrestling career grew as a member of the All-Marine Wrestling Team, which helped springboard his progression to the Olympics. He’ll be the first member of the All-Marine Wrestling Team to wrestle at the Olympics since 1992, where the entirety of the competition will be from Aug. 1-7. … rest of story at https://pressboxonline.com/2021/05/07/johnny-stefanowicz-from-bel-air-to-u-s-marine-corps-to-olympic-wrestler/?mc_cid=1c5f62dded&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – American Dreamer

Hafizov’s gamble has paid off for many since leaving Uzbekistan in ‘14
By Mike Finn Shortly before 2014, Ildar Hafizov took a gamble on the United States and seven years later, that gamble has paid off for the 33-year-old native of Uzbekistan … and for the United States’ Greco-Roman program. And once Hafizov reaches Tokyo this August as one of a few Olympians to compete in the Games for two different countries … with a goal of winning the USA’s first Greco Olympic medal since 2008 … Hafizov — who represented Uzbekistan in the 2008 Olympics — may take some time to think about what he has accomplished on and off the mat since he decided over a decade ago he wanted to immigrate to this country. … rest of story at https://www.win-magazine.com/2021/05/07/american-dreamer/?mc_cid=1c5f62dded&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b#utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=american-dreamer

12 } – #235 Joe Rau – Chicago Legend, Greco World Team Member

Joe Rau is a Chicago Legend. He’s a multiple time World Team Member in greco and winner of the 2016 Olympic Team Trials.  He was recently involved in a controversial match in the finals of the 2021 Olympic Team Trials. Back in high school, Joe was a 1x state qualifier and went on to wrestle Division 3 at Elmhurst College. There he was a 3x All American and NCAA Champion.  Enjoy! … rest of story at https://wrestlingchangedmylife.com/235-joe-rau-chicago-legend-greco-world-team-member/?mc_cid=1c5f62dded&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

13 } – WORLD OLYMPIC QUALIFIER: OLIVER IS FIFTH AS MEN’S FREESTYLE IS COMPLETED; WOMEN’S FREESTYLE FINALS SET AND OLYMPIANS DETERMINED
SOFIA, Bulgaria – The men’s freestyle competition at the World Olympic Games Qualifier was completed on Friday with the medal matches, and the women’s freestyle tournament advanced through the semifinals, which has determined the nations which have qualified for the Olympic Games in that style. The top two finishers in each weight class qualify their nation for the Tokyo Games. The men’s freestyle qualifiers were determined on Thursday based upon the semifinal results. The U.S. entry in men’s freestyle, Jordan Oliver (Chapel Hill, N.C./Sunkist Kids/Tarheel RTC) finished fifth at 65 kg. He did not compete in his bronze medal match, due to an injury default. A majority of the matches in the medal match round were not contested. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/May/07/Day-two-at-the-World-Olympic-Qualifier-in-Bulgaria?mc_cid=1c5f62dded&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

14 } – S. Korean wrestler tests positive for COVID-19 ahead of Tokyo Olympics

SEOUL, May 8 (Yonhap) — A prominent South Korean wrestler has tested positive for the new coronavirus, dashing hopes of competing in the Tokyo Olympics scheduled for this summer. Kim Hyeon-woo withdrew from an Olympic qualifier match in Sofia, Bulgaria, against Azerbaijan’s Rafig Huseynov on Saturday. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist was competing in the men’s 77-kilogram Greco-Roman.

“Kim tested positive for COVID-19 a day prior to the match,” a wrestling official said. “He received an official letter allowing him to compete if he tests negative in a screening test on the morning of the match but gave up due to his bad health condition.” The 33-year-old was preparing to clinch his third consecutive medal in the upcoming Olympics. He took gold at the 2012 London Olympics and was a bronze medalist at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. … rest of story at https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210508001200315?section=news&mc_cid=6292a9adee&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

15 } – Former Falcon still soaring: Four-time state champ Taylor gearing up for Olympics
The last time David Taylor visited Tokyo was in high school. Taylor, then a junior at Graham High School, was on his way to a U.S. Junior World Team event in China and had a rather unremarkable 12-hour layover. His next trip will be much more memorable. Taylor goes for the gold at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics as a member of Team USA’s wrestling team. The 2009 Graham High School graduate captured the 86kg freestyle title (189.5 pounds) at the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials in April, defeating Bo Nickal in the best-of-three final series 4-0 and 6-0. “The biggest feeling I really had was probably relief. That’s a tough step,” said Taylor, who competed in his third Olympic trials. “I think I was definitely relieved and happy. Now I can really look forward to preparing for Tokyo.” … rest of story at https://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/former-falcon-still-soaring-four-time-state-champ-taylor-gearing-up-for-olympics/JJJZKJCQEZFHJJUGELUWJSKCQQ/?mc_cid=6292a9adee&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

June 25, 2021 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized