Jordan Burroughs at the 2019 World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Olympic champion and four-time World champion Jordan Burroughs will join the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center (PRTC) as a resident athlete in September 2021.
Jordan is one of the most decorated and accomplished wrestlers in history. He won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics and world championships in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017. He also earned bronze medals at the world championships in 2014 and 2018.
Jordan is one of three American wrestlers to ever win four or more world championships. His eight World and Olympic medals are the second most medals in U.S. history. He has qualified for nine consecutive U.S. Freestyle Wrestling Teams and has an extraordinary senior freestyle record of 189-9.
On the decision to join the PRTC Jordan commented, "The infrastructure that has been created at the PRTC in Philadelphia will provide my family and me the best opportunity to accomplish our goals -- both on and off the mat, in the next chapter of life. Not only does Philadelphia provide a great room of training partners and an Olympic champion coach, it is only 23 miles from my hometown. I am committed to leaving a lasting impact on the Tri-State area -- the same community where I first began this journey. I want to leave this region better than how I found it. It's time to come home."
Since its inception, the PRTC has leveraged the resources of the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University as well as the wrestling community in greater Philadelphia to create a world-class wrestling ecosystem to attract elite wrestlers and give back to local schools and communities through partnerships such as Beat the Streets Philadelphia
The PRTC's commitment to this mission and the support of Penn and Drexel alumni has been instrumental to its success on and off the mat. Drexel's Head Wrestling Coach and 2008 US Open Champion Matt Azevedo said, "I would like to thank our Drexel alumni and administration for their tremendous support of Olympic wrestling in the city of Philadelphia. The PRTC is vital to our program's success and I am grateful to have a community that values its growth. Jordan is not only one of the greatest American wrestlers of all time, but is also one of the greatest ambassadors of our sport. His experience and wisdom will generate a lasting impact on Philadelphia wrestling. We are so excited to welcome Jordan and his family to the PRTC!"
The PRTC's executive director and head coach, Brandon Slay, is a 1998 graduate of Penn, an Olympic Champion, and a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
He commented on Jordan's commitment to the PRTC, "While I served as the Assistant National Coach for USA Wrestling from 2009-2016, Jordan made six consecutive World and Olympic Teams. Jordan became a crucial catalyst to helping Team USA become a world wrestling power again. At the London Olympics in 2012 where Jordan won gold, Team USA earned the distinction of being the best team on the planet. It was such an honor to be part of Jordan's journey to the top during those years. In the Fall of 2021, I look forward to the opportunity of working with Jordan again to help him keep improving as a wrestler and leader. Jordan lives out the core values of the PRTC, and we are thankful he is coming back home to finish his wrestling career as well as establish his post-competition future. Jordan believes in better, and I look forward to seeing him live it out."
Among the many supporters of the PRTC mission are Dave Pottruck and Josh Harris, both Outstanding Americans of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Dave is a PRTC Board Member, 1970 University of Pennsylvania graduate, Penn wrestling team captain, and Chairman of Hightower Advisors and Red Eagle Ventures. Josh graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and was a member of Penn's wrestling team. He is Co-Founder of Apollo Global Management and the Managing Partner of Philadelphia Sixers and New Jersey Devils. Dave and Josh offered statements related to Jordan joining the PRTC and what it means for the program and its mission.
"We welcome Jordan, Lauren and their family to an incredibly exciting future in Philadelphia, to the PRTC, and to the Penn Wrestling family. We share the vision of both championship level results, alongside high-level leadership and community engagement. We couldn't be more excited about this new partnership," said Dave Pottruck.
"I am thrilled to welcome Olympian Jordan Burroughs to the greater Philadelphia, PRTC and Penn Wrestling family. Under Coach Reina's leadership, Penn Wrestling has become a world-class program, attracting the best talent of our sport. This organization means a great deal to me and I am very excited to see what the future holds for both Jordan and the broader program," said Josh Harris.
At the PRTC, our mission is to enrich lives locally and globally through the sport of wrestling, and we do this by living out our core values of Faith over fear, Full effort, Struggle well, and Serve others.
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