Frank Chamizo gets to the leg of Jordan Burroughs at Beat the Streets' "Rumble on the River" event (Photo/Juan Garcia)NEW YORK, NY -- Two-time world champion and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Frank Chamizo will train with the Columbia Wrestling's New York City Regional Training Center (NYC RTC), the club announced Friday. An experienced, veteran athlete on the international stage, Chamizo brings an explosive and dynamic style of wrestling to New York.
"When we launched the NYC RTC last April, I had a vision for creating a training environment that is not only the best in the Ivy League, but the best in the United States," Columbia Head Wrestling Coach Zach Tanelli said. "With the great support of our alumni and donors, we were able to take another step closer to that goal today with the addition of Frank Chamizo.
"Frank is arguably the most exciting wrestler competing in the world right now," Tanelli noted. "Being in New York City, we have the ability to attract not only the best athletes in the country, but also the best in the world and that is what we are going to continue to do at Columbia. It is an exciting time for our program."
"I am extremely excited to become a part of the NYC RTC and the Columbia Wrestling family," Chamizo said. "This is a special place and a special city. I look forward to helping young wrestlers develop while continuing my training in the greatest city in the world."
"We all know that he can wrestle, and that he is one of the best on the international circuit now," Regional Training Center coach and 1996 Olympic gold medalist Kendall Cross added, "but the unique intangibles that Frank Chamizo brings to our RTC and to the Columbia program are what will make this training environment so extraordinary.
"He will elevate our training on the technical side," Cross continued, "but will also bring an important energy into the wrestling room. Frank works extremely hard and does so with charisma and passion for the sport. We are lucky to have him at the NYC RTC."
Born in Matanzas, Cuba, Chamizo earned the 55kg bronze medal for his home country at the 2010 UWW World Championships in Moscow, Russia when he was just 18 years old. After becoming a naturalized citizen of Italy, he now competes under the Italian flag. Ending the 35-year drought of World and Olympic gold medals, Chamizo captured two World Championships titles for Italy (2015 at 65kg and 2017 at 70 kg). Chamizo is also the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist at 65kg, bringing home the medal from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Columbia's New York City Regional Training Center is a USA Wrestling-recognized RTC working in the support and cultivation of Columbia University wrestling student-athletes, as well as the ambitions of senior-level Olympic hopefuls.
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