Nine-member US team to compete in Siberia on Jan. 23-25

Jan. 19, 2009 - The U.S. Freestyle National Team has held its January training camp in preparation for the annual winter tour season for the nation's elite wrestlers. A group of top American freestylers will compete in the first tour of the year at the respected Ivan Yarygin Memorial International Championships in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, Jan. 23-25.

Held in a major city in Siberia, the Yarygin International is a tremendous early-season test for the best wrestlers in the world. Many are comparing this tournament with the fabled Tiblisi Tournament from the former Soviet Union.

The U.S. will again be attending the Yarygin International with a nine-member team mixed with Olympians and rising young stars. Headlining the team are 2008 U.S. Olympians Doug Schwab (Iowa City, Iowa/Gator WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Andy Hrovat (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. and Steve Mocco (Iowa City, Iowa/New York AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

"It is on the same level as a World Championships," said Schwab, who has competed there in the past. "If you look at the list of U.S. wrestlers who have won the Tbilisi and Yarygin, it is similar to a list of our World and Olympic champions. It is one hell of a tournament, and an opportunity to prove yourself on the world stage."

National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones, a 1991 World Champion who competed in both the Tbilisi Tournament and the Yarygin International during his career, knows first-hand about the challenges facing the U.S. team this week.

"It's 40 degrees in the gym. You warm up in your winter jacket, go out and wrestle the match, then walk off the mat and put your jacket back on," said Jones of his experience at the Yarygin Tournament in the early 1990s. "It is very cold, way below zero. It takes two overnight flights to get there. It has long travel, the food is different and the language is different."

In spite of the challenge, Jones understood that U.S. wrestlers need to compete at this tournament and under these conditions to reach their goals. He won medals at both the Tbilisi and Yarygin Tournaments, but was unable to capture a gold medal at either event.

"The guys who do well at the Yarygin go on and win World and Olympic medals for the United States," said Jones. "Some say it is the toughest tournament in the world. We will see."

Is the Yarygin truly today's Tbilisi Tournament?

From the 1970s through the early 1990's, the Tbilisi Tournament held in Soviet Georgia was considered the toughest freestyle tournament in the world, including the World Championships. At the time, the Soviet Union was unified, with only one athlete from the vast nation competing at the World Championships. The Tbilisi Tournament featured numerous Soviet athletes in every weight class, as well as top wrestlers from other wrestling nations. To win, an athlete had to beat numerous talented Soviet stars.

U.S. wrestlers who were Tbilisi Tournament champions:
1971 - Don Behm (125.5)
1972 - Dan Gable (149.5)
1973 - Ben Peterson (198)
1974 - Russ Hellickson (198)
1976 - Wade Schalles (163)
1980 - Gene Mills (114.5)
1982 - Joe Gonzalez (114.5)
1983 - Andy Rein (149.5)
1984 - Bruce Baumgartner (286)
1987 - Dave Schultz (163)
1988 - Kenny Monday (163)
1989 - Melvin Douglas (180.5)
1991 - Dave Schultz (163), Chris Campbell (198)

Back then, a U.S. athlete winning the Tbilisi Tournament was a major achievement, one of the highlights of a career. In total, only 13 U.S. wrestlers ever won the competition. World and Olympic champion Dave Schultz was the only one to win it two times.

Of the 13 champions, all became U.S. Olympic Team members except one, 1976 champion Wade Schalles. All of the Tbilisi champions except Schalles and Gene Mills won a medal at the Olympic Games or World Championships.

Olympic champions who won Tbilisi included Schultz, Dan Gable, Ben Peterson, Bruce Baumgartner and Kenny Monday. World champions included Schultz, Gable, Baumgartner, Monday, Melvin Douglas and Chris Campbell.

After the breakup of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, the Tbilisi Tournament lost its significance. Russia became the dominant nation in freestyle wrestling, and began developing its own series of major international events. The United States began attending the Krasnoyarsk Tournament in the early 1990s, traveling all the way to frozen Siberia to face the best wrestlers from Russia, other former Soviet republics as well as numerous top wrestling nations. After the death of the legendary World and Olympic champion Ivan Yarygin, who was the president of the Russian Wrestling Federation, the tournament was named in his honor in 1993.

In the two decades that the USA has been attending the Yarygin Memorial International, only nine U.S. athletes have won the tournament. No American freestyle wrestler has ever won it twice. Winning a Yarygin Memorial International title has become a major achievement, just like the Tbilisi was for the previous generation.

U.S. wrestlers who were Yarygin International champions:
1990 - Jim Scherr
1991 - Dave Schultz (163), Chris Campbell (198)
1992 - Kendall Cross (125.5)
1993 - Tom Brands (136.5)
1993 - Kurt Angle (220)
1998 - Lincoln McIlravy (152)
2005 - Joe Williams (163), Daniel Cormier (211.5)

Every single U.S. wrestler who has won the Yarygin Tournament has become a member of the U.S. Olympic team. In addition, all nine champions have won a medal at either the Olympic Games or World Championships.

Olympic champions who have won the Yarygin International are Schultz, Kendall Cross, Tom Brands and Kurt Angle. World champions with Yarygin titles include Schultz, Brands, Angle and Chris Campbell.

The last U.S. champions at the Yarygin were in 2005, when Joe Williams and Daniel Cormier captured titles.

Schwab understands the special challenges of this event, including the long travel, the cold weather, the hometown officiating and the number of talented opponents.

"You have to be so sharp and so good to win there," said Schwab. "You have to embrace the opportunity. You can't dread it. You have to have fun with it. If you don't, you have the wrong state of mind. I have looked forward to this opportunity for months. You have to look at it as a World Championships or Olympics. You have to be that ready for this competition."

Schwab is prepared to compete against Russians and other former Soviet republic athletes right there on Russian soil.

"They are on top right now," said Schwab. "There would be no better feeling, going onto their soil and taking it from them. I know if I can win there, I can win anywhere. It is a new Olympic cycle, and you want to start it off right."

Others going on this trip have been there before and have a similar approach to the challenge ahead.

"I am real excited to go," said Shawn Bunch, who went 1-1 at last year's Yarygin. "It is really big, and the quality of the wrestling and the fan base is amazing. It would mean a lot to win. I have trained hard and focused on this tournament. You have to be well prepared going in. You have to put up a lot of technical points. There will be World and Olympic champions in your weight class. It's not a learning experience. I'm going there to win."

Nate Gallick, who placed third at Yarygin in 2007, has competed at 66 kg in early season events, but is dropping to his normal 60 kg for this tournament.

"It doesn't get any better than wrestling in Russia, especially at the Ivan Yarygin," said Gallick. "I have wrestled Batirov and Dudaev, their best guys. I've lost to both of them. I feel if I wrestle my best match, score points and minimize mistakes, I can beat anybody in the world. If I am close to 100%, I am confident I can wrestle with anybody."

Jones does not put extra emphasis on the Yarygin Tournament over other competitions, but is quick to use the opportunity to challenge his athletes to strive for excellence.

"We will wrestle two arms and two legs. It doesn't matter what country is in front of us," said Jones. "Everytime we step onto the mat, we expect the opponents to be good. I don't think we change our approach just because we are facing Russians or are in this competition."

Jones knows that this event provided a different test and learning environment than others.

"There are certain styles and strategies for certain regions," said Jones. "We have to train for that. Right now, the Russians like a lot of fireman's carries. We have to be prepared. A lot wrestle from the seat belt, which we call the side bear hug. They are very focused on the edge of mat. We know this. But, really, we are preparing every day to beat the best in the world, whether they are across the street or around the world."

Jones has high expections for his team this year, regardless of how tough the opposition will be in Krasnoyarsk.

"We are not going for experience. We want results right away," said Jones. "I know it is January and there is a lot of learning going on. The Russians are also working with some new athletes. That doesn't change. To get the result, we have to focus on the process of winning and the results will take care of themselves."

The U.S. athletes know that this a supreme challenge, but they feel they are ready for it.

"I have to be stingy but aggressive," said Schwab. "Sometimes, we worry about what they do and wrestle their gameplan. I have to give myself opportunities. I have to close the gap and try not to play their game. I have to focus and impose my will on them. Sometimes, you worry too much about them. When I go to my offense, I'm at my best."

U.S. Team for 2009 Yarygin Memorial International
Krasnoyarsk, Russia, on Jan. 23-25
55 kg/121 lbs. - Nick Simmons, Corvallis, Ore. (Sunkist Kids)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Shawn Bunch, Columbus, Ohio (Gator WC)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Nate Gallick, Chattanooga, Tenn. (Sunkist Kids)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Doug Schwab, Iowa City, Iowa (Gator WC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Trent Paulson, Lincoln Neb. (Sunkist Kids)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Travis Paulson, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Keith Gavin, Pittsburgh, Pa. (New York AC)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Andy Hrovat, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Steve Mocco, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC)
Coaches - Zeke Jones, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Jamill Kelly, Dallas, Texas