InterMat Staff

Three-time state champion Tanner Litterell (Tuttle, Okla.) verbally committed to the University of Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon. The projected 141/149 pound wrestler is ranked No. 51 overall in the Class of 2017. He was also champion this spring at the NHSCA Junior Nationals in the 132 pound weight class.

Early-round action from the 2016 NCAAs at Madison Square Garden in NYC (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) What's the current health of NCAA Division I wrestling? A Blue Ribbon Task Force has conducted an examination of the sport and presented its recommendations at the National Wrestling Coaches Association annual convention Saturday. At the top of the list: possibly shift the D1 schedule to start and finish one month later than now. According to a tentative schedule that was part of the presentation to NWCA convention participants, practice sessions would begin around Thanksgiving and conclude in mid-December, with tournament competition taking place from that date into the first week of January. The dual-meet season would run from that date through mid-March, with what is labeled "championship season," presumably incorporating traditional conference and individual NCAA championships -- along with the addition of a new, separate dual-meet championships -- on weekends lasting into mid-April. This proposal would place wrestling competition within a single semester. There is precedence for this single-semester schedule. Years ago, the college wrestling season was much more compact. College schedules from the 1930s or 50s basically started with dual meets in early January, concluding with the NCAAs taking place the last week of March. There were far fewer tournaments; a typical team wrestled 7-10 duals. One of the principal reasons to propose a January-to-mid-April schedule: to get the conference and NCAA wrestling championships out from under the shadow of NCAA Final Four basketball championships which consume a large percentage of general sports fan interest and media coverage to the detriment of college wrestling. To illustrate that point, Jim Fallis, the facilitator for the Blue Ribbon Task Force and former Northern Arizona athletic director, shared the following story with Trackwrestling. "One of the most frustrating things to me: We were at the national championships in Oklahoma City two years ago and USA Today's sports section -- the day before the tournament started -- had a little blurb that talked about how much beer they expected to be consumed in Oklahoma City for the NCAA wrestling championship," said Fallis. "And the next three days you didn't see a thing about the wrestling tournament. But obviously you saw tons of things about basketball." "If you were to move the (wrestling) tournament into, let's say, mid-April or later in April, obviously you get away from the NCAA basketball tournament. Now you can't just do that and not do something on the front end because what you're doing is effectively extending the season. The concept of a one-semester sport now has a lot more merit." Moving the NCAA wrestling championships out from under the shadow of the Final Four could also eliminate what is an annual rite of wrestling writers and fans: complaints about lack of coverage of the Nationals in two national publications: USA Today, and Sports Illustrated. The idea of reconfiguring the college wrestling schedule has been discussed for years; one of this writer's early wrestling articles covering the 2003 NCAAs included quotes from various coaches about the merits of having a later wrestling season which concluded after the end of March Madness. Fallis sees a host of benefits for a single-semester college wrestling schedule which go beyond generating greater fan interest and more media coverage, to include the potential for enhanced academics, reduced time demands on the student-athlete, and helping to enhance student-athlete mental health. In fact, the Blue Ribbon Task Force presentation to the NWCA titled "Aligning Wrestling Goals with NCAA Guiding Principles" addressed a number of these issues Fallis mentioned, along with health and safety, competitive equity and fiscal responsibility, and marketing challenges. "There's a group of administrators that felt now's a good time and a critical time for wrestling to really take a look at itself and do a 360 evaluation and figure out where do we want to be in five, 10, 15 years and how is the best way to get there?" said Fallis. It's not the first time the NCAA has taken a critical look at college wrestling. In May 2015, InterMat wrote about the results of a survey taken among fans who attended the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City that pointed out that while attendance remained high, there were concerns about the "graying of the NCAAs" as attendees grow older and may be tempted to forego the expense and hassle of travel and instead opt to enjoy the expanded "every mat, every match" coverage on various platforms from the comfort of their homes.

Multi-time state champion Bryce Rogers (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) verbally committed to Brown University on Saturday afternoon. The No. 64 overall ranked wrestler in the Class of 2017 projects to compete as a 165/174 in college. He was champion at the NHSCA Junior Nationals this spring at 152 pounds, while finishing seventh at the Flo Nationals in that weight class.

Jordan Burroughs at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Jordan Burroughs is seeking to become a two-time Olympic gold medalist in wrestling. He's also in the running to be the athlete to carry the U.S. flag in the opening ceremony at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro next Friday, Aug. 5. That person will be chosen by their colleagues. NBC, the network broadcasting the Rio Games in the U.S., has posted an online poll featuring the names of 17 American athletes who might be flagbearers, including Burroughs. Wrestling fans can cast a vote for the man who won a gold medal at the 2012 London Games by clicking here. As of Saturday night, Burroughs was in first place in the balloting. If Burroughs were to be selected as official flagbearer for Team USA, he would be only the second U.S. wrestler to be granted this honor for the opening ceremony at the Summer Olympics. Bruce Baumgartner, four-time Olympic medalist in freestyle (two gold, one silver, one bronze, 1984-1996 Olympics) carried the Stars and Stripes at the opening of the 1996 Atlanta Games. Rulon Gardner, winner of an Olympic gold medal in Greco-Roman in 2000, was selected by his fellow U.S. athletes to carry the flag at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Games. At least one wrestler has already been selected by his country to carry a flag at the 2016 Olympics: Asnage Castelly, an assistant coach at Springfield Technical Community College in Massachusetts, will be the flagbearer for his native Haiti at the opening ceremony in Rio.

What does the Geo Martinez transfer mean for Oklahoma State? (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) One week before the Opening Ceremonies at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Global Wrestling News reports on the wide world of wrestling. This week's show covers that world with these feature segments: Reactions from Asics/Vaughn Cadet/Junior National Championships One-on-one with United World Wrestling Vice President Stan Dziedzic Sports Illustrated makes Olympic medal predictions What does the Geo Martinez transfer mean for Oklahoma State? This half-hour Global Wrestling News broadcast presents the news about all aspects of amateur wrestling, in a fast-paced sports news format featuring Scott Casber and Tony Hager, along with comments and opinions from wrestling aficionado Wayne Eric Boyd, who champions the oldest and greatest sport. Global Wrestling News is a subsidiary of Global Wrestling Championships and owned by Titan Mercury Wrestling Club. This week's show has been posted at TheMat.com, TMWC1.com, and Takedown Wrestling's website. In addition, it is available on Takedown Wrestling's YouTube channel. What's more, you'll find Global Wrestling News on these cable, satellite and broadcast channels. (All times Central.) Cablevision: Sundays at 4 p.m. Charter Cable: Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Friday 11:30 p.m. and Monday 2:30 p.m. Cox Cable: Sunday 9:30 a.m. Fight Network HD: Sundays at 4:00 p.m. Long Lines Cable: Daily at 5:30 p.m. Mediacom Cable: Sundays at 10:30 a.m. MidCo Sports Network: Saturday 10:00 a.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m. Suddenlink Cable: Check your local listings. Multiple air times.

Asnage Castelly wrestling at the World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Asnage Castelly will be pulling double duty at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The assistant wrestling coach at a Massachusetts two-year college will not only be wrestling freestyle for his native Haiti, but also carrying the Haitian flag at the Opening Ceremony on Aug. 5. Castelly, who coaches at Springfield Technical Community College, will lead the delegation of eleven athletes in the Parade of Nations as Haiti's only wrestler at the 2016 Games… and, in fact, the country's first wrestler to make it to the Olympics. Two other wrestling coaches at STCC, Anibal and Alberto Nieves, will coach Castelly in Rio, who hopes to become the first Haitian to win an Olympic medal in 88 years. The 37-year-old Castelly was surprised but happy to be named the flagbearer for Haiti. "I did not see it coming," Castelly told WWLP-TV. "I didn't see it happening, but I'm honored and grateful." Castelly moved to the United States when he was nine years old and became interested in wrestling from watching the Olympics on TV, WesternMassNews.com reported. He wrestled while attending high school in New Jersey and continued wrestling while attending college in western Massachusetts. While Castelly is a product of Haiti, he's also very American. He served a tour in Iraq as a Muslim chaplain in the U.S. Army. "I first saw the U.S. military in Haiti during a coup," Castelly told MassLive.com. "I saw them helping people, doing the right things, and I always wanted to be in the military.'' . After doing four years of ROTC in high school, Castelly recommended military service to a friend, then decided to take his own advice and signed up. "I wanted to be part of it. America gives people the opportunity to be successful,'' he said. These days, it's not uncommon for athletes to compete at the Olympics for countries where they're not currently living. For Castelly, it was a matter of convincing his homeland that it should have wrestling. Castelly's road to wrestle in Rio was long and challenging. He competed for Haiti at freestyle events around the world, as far away as Mongolia. He did well, but not enough to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. However, United World Wrestling has the power to grant wild card spots for the Olympics… and the sport's international governing made Castelly's dream come true by an email in May which he read in in the middle of the night when he couldn't sleep. "So I just checked my email, and it said, from United Wrestling, you have been selected for the wildcard, based on performance, blah blah. I'm like, I did a Scooby Doo number, 'HMMM?' I didn't believe it. 'Let me double check,'" Castelly told NPR in a profile in June. "You don't want to just be there," Castelly said. "Just say 'Oh, I was in the Games.' You want to continue making history. Before we even got the qualification we were looking at the record, what was the last time someone from Haiti won a medal was 1928." Once Castelly completes his Olympic dream, he hopes to return to Haiti to bring wrestling to schools to the Caribbean island nation.

Fargo double champ Sam Shields-Colbray is among the guests on Takedown Radio (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Fresh from Fargo: some of the newly crowned champs from the Junior & Cadet National Championships recently held at the Fargodome will be among the guests on this Saturday's Takedown Radio, the broadcast announced Friday. Join hosts Scott Casber, Tony Hager, and Brad Johnson this Saturday from 9-11 a.m. live on KXNO.com, IHeartRadio.com and TakedownWrestle.com. Fans, athletes and coaches are invited to participate by calling 866-333-5966 or 515-284-5966. This week's guests include (all times Central): 9:00 a.m.: Sam Shields-Colbray (Oregon) -- Junior Freestyle/Greco National Champion, 220 pounds 9:15 a.m.: Travis Wittlake Jr (Oregon) - Cadet Freestyle National Champion, 170 pounds 9:35 a.m.: Aaron Brooks (Maryland) -- Cadet Freestyle/Greco National Champion, 160 pounds 10:00 a.m.: Rachel Watters (Iowa) -- Junior Women's National Champion, 159 pounds 10:15 a.m.: Anthony Montanona (California) -- Junior Greco-Roman National Champion, 160 pounds 10:35 a.m.: Teshya Alo (Hawaii) -- Junior Women's National Champion, 139 pounds

Henry Cejudo celebrates after winning an Olympic gold medal (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) The Russian doping scandal is in its final days and with its passing comes a moment for reflection on the values of sport and the Olympic event. Money certainly corrupts and it seems that too often doping is tied to the accumulation of wealth through triumphing during sporting competitions. That might be something that we can never change, but I hope that the lessons of sport -- for all age groups -- doesn't take on this singular value. Sport, wrestling especially, teaches us about ourselves with every practice and competition. Given the time and sacrifices it takes to be successful in sport, it would be a shame if in the end we competed as nothing more than money-hungry vessels interested in self-worship. I'm eager for the Olympics to begin and for the stories of individual sacrifice and triumph to bubble into my Facebook feed. I look forward to big throws on the mat, but I also anticipate the moments leading up to a consequential foot race -- to see who can run the fastest or jump the highest (not much into swimming). Every four years the run-up to the Olympics is used as a way to gauge what's backwards about a country (Zika, corruption, protests) and international sport (bribery, doping) but come August 5 that all goes away and we are treated to three weeks of Games. A way to forget troubles, applaud triumph and celebrate athletic achievement. Count me in as someone content to cheer. To your questions … Q: What are you top three USA Olympic wrestling performances ever? Why? -- @J_Agnitsch125 Foley: Henry Cejudo because he outwrestled everyone he faced at an insanely competitive weight class. John Smith's second Olympic title in 1992 came at the end of A LOT of winning for Smith. Not only was there a bullseye on his chest for being so dominant, he had the expectations of the Americans also weighing him down. Remember he BARELY got out of the pool, but despite losing to the Cuban at the end of the pool he goes out and put a spanking on the Iranian. Rulon Gardner … Not sure it has to be restated! Q: Congrats on the new film "Battsetseg: Mongol Queen." What was most enjoyable about that project? -- Mike C. Foley: Mongolia has long been my favorite place to visit. Heading into the countryside, sleeping in a ger and interacting with people whose outlook on life has been informed by a totally different set of stimuli are all reasons I look forward to going back. The "Eternal Blue Sky" is probably another, but really, as with any trip, the best moments are enjoyed seeing friends and spending time with their families. Guillaume filming in sub-freezing temperaturesAnecdotally my favorite part about making this movie was watching my cinematographer Guillaume head out into sub-freezing temperatures with his camera to grab a panning shot of a massive statue. I wanted nothing more than to watch him freeze as I sat in the warm car, but I couldn't bring myself to be THAT inconsiderate and lazy. I ran out and helped carry equipment, paid a small bribe to a gatekeeper and tried my best to block the wind from shaking Guillaume's camera. What I'll remember about that afternoon is that while I sat with my hands shoved in my pants Guillaume was dead-eye focused on his viewfinder and steadying the tripod to ensure a good shot. That's when I noticed his nose dripping blood. I did what any true friend would do and, instead of grabbing a tissue, I grabbed my camera snapped a shot and then pointed at him like he was a monster. There was a lot put into that film, and the three others that will be coming out in the next two weeks. So I guess this anecdote stands as proof that when I tell you that we put blood, sweat and tears into this project, I'm not exaggerating. Q: Have you seen the Bollywood film "Sultan" yet? I had a chance to catch it in a theater near DC and was impressed, the production value of the film was phenomenal for a wrestling film. Did the folks at UWW provide any insight for the film makers? -- Jacob R. Foley: No insights that I'm aware of, but they were in touch regarding promotion. Loving the previews! The story seems to tie together traditional wrestling in the country and future Olympic success, which is both neat and has the luxury of being true. Also, that there is a popular girl wrestler draws on plenty of recent examples. Looking forward to seeing it, but I still choose Jason Bourne for this weekend's trip to the box office. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Battsetseg: Mongol Queen (FULL MOVIE) Sultan Smith's loss at 1992 Olympics Q: I read that 2016 Olympians are not eligible to compete at Non-Olympic World Team Trials. Any idea the reasoning behind this? -- Mike C. Foley: They aren't eligible to compete at the international level. The idea is that you want to keep the weights separated and resist the urge by some to send a wrestler out for a medal who already had a world-level opportunity in Rio de Janeiro. Just like they were running side-by-side you couldn't have one wrestler compete in two weights, you can't have them enter the World Championships for new weight categories. Q: Predictions on who enters World Team Trials at 61 kilograms and 70 kilograms? -- @Eagle_Fan Foley: We know that James Green will be in the finals of the World Team Trials at 70 kilograms, so that's an easy tick of the box. Staring him down could be an array of wrestlers from around different weights. Nick Marable, Jason Welch, Dustin Schlatter, Kevin LeValley, Moza Fay and Adam Hall. At 61 kilograms I'm looking at Tony Ramos, Reece Humphrey, Joe Colon, Tyler Graff, Frank Perrelli, Nahshon Garret, and maybe Matt McDonough. Teshya Alo recently won her sixth Fargo title (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Q: How good can be Teshya Alo be on the senior level? She's only 18, so it's hard for me to get a feel for it. It certainly looks like she has a lot potential. Do you see her winning some world medals and potentially titles by the time the dust settles? -- Mike C. Foley: I've watched Teshya at the Cadet and Junior level for the past three seasons and while I totally understand it's hard to judge a women's growth in the sport (we just haven't seen it a lot), I'd have to predict she's going to be nails. Everything is in place for Teshya. She's brilliant in understanding how to win, she's hard-nosed and has opportunities to compete based on her previous success. Is she a multiple-time world champion? I don't know. But I do think she makes World teams and competes for medals at the senior level. Q: Iowa State landed the No. 3 recruiting class by InterMat. In Fargo, future Cyclones claimed a combined seven All-American finishes and four national titles. Does KJ have ISU back primed for a return to national title contention? -- Mike C. Foley: I don't keep a close beat on the youth scene, but I read some tweets about these finishes and the ranking and took pause. Maybe Kevin Jackson gets a much worse wrap than he deserves. Winning anywhere is tough. If we can all agree that the times have changed and power shifted East then we can also agree that being in Iowa is not a great recruiting benefit for Coach Jackson. National titles are great, but after 40-plus years they lose their luster in the eyes of 17-year-old recruits. So on nothing but staff and some incredible performances by individuals over the years Coach Jackson has proven to be an effective recruiter and developer of talent. That said, I don't know that the class is enough to boost the Cyclones into national title contention, but its certainly a great place to start. Q: Johny Hendricks has struggled mightily since he first became a UFC champion. He has now lost three of his last four fights, and looked especially bad in his last two. What do you attribute to his struggles? -- MC Foley: There are some obvious dieting issues that were never addressed, but I think that he also didn't develop with the sport. One thing that might have harmed that development was a focus on his big-bomb striking, which took his wrestling for granted and didn't work on submissions. The MMA game changes quickly and without a lot of focus on all areas a fighter can get passed up in a hurry. Another reason for a decline is the number of absolutely insane man-battles Johny faced in the previous two years. Something is taken from you in the fights he had with GSP and Lawler. I wrestled hard for 90 minutes yesterday and in that pure exhaustion I was given a quick reminder (sans contact) how hard it is to compete in combat sports. Adding back in a fully actualized barbarian like Robbie Lawler punching you in the face … I don't know who could keep up that type of fighting for very long.

Tervel Dlagnev (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The "new normal" in the Ohio State wrestling room is about to be ratcheted up a notch. Tervel Dlagnev, a two-time Olympian who has trained for the several years at the Ohio Regional Training Center under the guidance of Ohio State associate head coach Lou Rosselli, will join the Ohio State staff as an assistant coach on September 12 following his competition at the Summer Olympic Games in Rio. He fills the spot previously held by Ross Thatcher. With his addition, the Buckeyes will now have 1/3 of the 2016 Olympic team's roster in its training room. The collective credentials of head coach Tom Ryan's staff [Ryan, Rosselli, J Jaggers and Dlagnev] now includes four NCAA titles, five NCAA finals appearances and nine All-America honors. "This is a great day for the Buckeyes," said Ryan. "Tervel Dlagnev was far and away the top choice for us to bring in as a coach. More than the credentials he has on the mat, he brings a cerebral approach. He's an amazing teacher, a great father, a great friend. Our guys really gravitate to him." "We're very fortunate that thanks to a lot of supporters, we have the elite training center in the country. Tervel has been an integral part of that for a long time. Right now the environment in our program is very good. With multiple NCAA champions and All-Americans and now two Olympians, it's north of normal - and it needs to be. Because normal won't cut it." Dlagnev was a two-time NCAA Division II national champion for the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2007 and 2008; in 2008, Dlagnev led the Lopers to their first-ever team title. Following graduation, he moved to Columbus in order to be trained by Rosselli at the Ohio RTC. Since then, he has made eight national teams, winning the World Team Trials seven times. In international competitions, Dlagnev has won two bronze medals at the World Wrestling Championships (2009 and 2014). At the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, he finished in fifth place and will take another shot at earning a medal at the Rio Games on August 20. Other tournaments won by Dlagnev include the US Open (2011-2015), World University Games in 2008, Pan American Games in 2011, Alexander Medved International (2010, 2013), Cerro Pelado International in 2012, and the New York AC International Open (2008-2010, 2012). "Ohio State and the RTC have been staples in the wrestling world," said Dlagnev. "They've given me all the resources to achieve my dreams. I want to add to that and hopefully better the future of the program." A native of Sofia, Bulgaria, Dlagnev moved to the United States when he was five years old and went on to finish fourth in the Texas state tournament as a junior in 2002, just his second year of organized wrestling. From there, he was third as a senior in 2003 before taking his talent to Nebraska-Kearney where he was a four-time All-American, the 2006 Midlands champion and a NCAA champion in 2007 and 2008.

Viktor Lebedev is a four-time world medalist and two-time world champion (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) United World Wrestling, the governing body for Olympic forms of wrestling, has recommended that 16 of the 17 Russian wrestlers who qualified for the 2016 Olympics should be allowed to take to the mats in Rio, based on results of UWW's Special Commission released Thursday. The one wrestler who was not recommended -- Viktor Lebedev -- should not be allowed to compete at the Rio Olympics because he failed a drug test in 2006. Lebedev's qualification spot in men's freestyle at 57 kilograms/125 pounds has been replaced by the nation of the next best-ranked wrestler from his qualification tournament, the 2015 World Championships. That nation is Belarus (BLR). The Russian wrestlers who passed the tests include Greco-Roman wrestlers Stepan Maryanyan, Islam-Beka Albiev, Roman Vlasov, Davit Chakvetadze, Islam Magomedov, and Sergey Semenov… men's freestyle wrestlers Soslan Ramonov, Aniuar Geduev, Abdulrashid Sadulaev, Anzor Boltukaev, and Bilyal Makhov… and women's freestyle wrestlers Milana Dadasheva, Valeriia Koboblova, Inna Trazhukova, Natalia Vorobeva, and Ekaterina Bukina. In its statement, the UWW Special Commission pointed out that all Russian wrestlers currently qualified for Rio have all been tested this year by independent laboratories accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) located outside of Moscow. None of these wrestlers entered in the Olympic Games had been listed in the McLaren Report, an independent report issued in mid-July that confirmed claims of state-backed Russian cheating at the 2014 Winter Olympics held in Sochi, Russia, as well as at various other sporting events. The UWW Special Commission also recommended that the International Olympic Commission test the entire Russian wrestling team in Rio before the start of the Olympic Wrestling competition. The commission added that "any change be made to the entry list previously submitted by the Russian team, both the replaced and new entry must be tested; if either test is positive, the qualified spot is lost." The commission has sent its recommendations to the IOC and Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Valentin Kalika coaching Elena Pirozhkova (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Afsoon Johnston of San Diego, Calif. and Valentin Kalika of Aliso Viejo, Calif. have been named as the volunteer women's freestyle coaches for the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The women's freestyle wrestling competition will be held August 17-18 at the Carioca 2 Arena in Rio. They will work with National Women's Coach Terry Steiner and Assistant National Women's Coaches Erin Tomeo in the preparation of the team and the coaching of the athletes at the Olympic Games. These assignments are subject to approval by the United States Olympic Committee. Both of the Olympic coaches from other nations, with Johnston from Iran and Kalika from Ukraine. Both have amazing personal stories of triumph over challenges which have led to the opportunity to coach for the United States at an Olympic Games. Johnston served as a 2014 U.S. World Team coach in women's freestyle in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where the team was third in the standings, led by three medalists. She has also coached numerous U.S. Senior-level teams on international tours throughout this Olympic four-year cycle. She was named 2014 Women's Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. Johnston also coached a Senior Pan American team and the USA Junior World Team in 2001. Born in Iran and moving to the USA as a teenager, she became one of the pioneers of women's wrestling in the United States. Competing under her maiden name Roshanzimir, she won the first World Championships medal ever for the USA in women's freestyle with a bronze medal in 1989. She added a World silver medal in 1990 and made four U.S. World Teams. "What an amazing opportunity for me. It has come full circle for me. The opportunity wasn't there for women wrestlers to represent the United States at an Olympic Games when I was competing. I am very honored, especially for the women from my generation who are at an age where they have raised their kids. Wrestling is not over for us, and it is a time to come back and give back to women's wrestling. Now is a time for more women to step into these roles. I hope that this also opens the door for the next generation of women wrestlers to step into the role of Olympic Coach in the future," said Johnston. Kalika is the personal coach of two U.S. Olympians in women's freestyle, Elena Pirozhkova and Helen Maroulis. He also coaches Cadet World champion and Olympic Trials runner-up Aaron Pico. He works as Coaches Education Coordinator for Beat the Streets Los Angeles and also works as a coach for the Titan Mercury WC. He has coached U.S. men and women wrestlers on international tours to more than a dozen different nations. A native of Ukraine, Kalika he was a Ukrainian national champion and a Soviet Union University champion in Greco-Roman, and later coached the Ukrainian Junior Team. He was a National Coach and club coach in Israel for three years before moving to the United States, where he continued his coaching career in a variety of positions. He has more than 35 years of professional coaching experience. He has a Master's Degree in Professional Coaching and Sports Education from Kiev Sports University. "I cried. It was joy and pride," said Kalika about learning of his U.S. Olympic coach assignment. "When I was in Israel, I didn't know what would happen to me. I just wanted to know if I could be an American. The way I came to the U.S. has been hard. My dream was always to come back to the Ukraine airport in Kiev as a U.S. coach. My Olympic dream has never left me. When I met Aaron Pico, I realized that this kid could make it. I couldn't stop dreaming about that. I love the USA to death. When I got here, I could not even dream about being the USA Olympic coach. That would be crazy. Being a part of this great country is so incredible. I am not sure someone who was American-born could feel what I feel about this." Both Olympic coaches have confidence in the U.S. women's freestyle Olympic athletes in their quest to win medals for Team USA. "I believe these four Olympic athletes have the potential to win four medals, and we can put all four on the podium. At the Olympic Games, you have to come ready the day of your competition. Everyone they will wrestle are phenomenal athletes. I learned as the World Team coach that the little things will make a difference. You have to believe in your training and bring it when you step on the mat. They all have the ability to do that. I am optimistic that for the first time we will see a gold medal won by a U.S. women's wrestler. I think we are about to make history," said Johnston. "In reality, we have three World champions in Elena (Pirozhkova), Helen (Maroulis) and Adeline (Gray). I also like Haley (Augello). She proved in the Olympic Trials how badly she want to become Olympic champion. As a personal coach for two of them, Elena and Helen, I can't imagine us not winning a gold. Adeline has been such a great champion and Haley will also be ready. Everything is good and on schedule. I think we will be fine. It is now my dream. American women don't have a gold yet. With this team, we can make history," said Kalika. Johnston and Kalika have coached the U.S. women's freestyle Olympians during Olympic training camps. National Women's Coach Terry Steiner has great confidence in their abilities to help the women's Olympic wrestlers achieve their goals. "We are very happy to have them involved. They both bring such different aspects to the team and to the coaching staff. It is a very good mix, a very good blend. Afsoon is one of the pioneers of the sport in the U.S. and for her to be a part of this staff is a huge thing. It is huge for this program to have her involved, to have our past involved with the current state of affairs. She brings experience. She has been part of National Teams and World Teams for years. She can give them a real feel of what it is like to compete at this level. Valentin is a great coach. He coaches Elena Pirozhkova, Helen Maroulis and Aaron Pico and has done a great job with those athletes. To have him a part of the women's program and helping the athletes is a great addition for us. We are very excited to have him on board," said Steiner. AFSOON JOHNSTON BIOGRAPHY Johnston served as an official coach of the 2014 U.S. Women's World Team Coach in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The United States placed third in the team standings, led by World champion Adeline Gray, World silver medalist Elena Pirozhkova and World bronze medalist Helen Maroulis. Five U.S. women reached medal matches. Johnston has been active coaching a number of U.S. Senior teams in the last four years. She was a coach at the FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals in Azerbaijan in 2013 and 2014. She also coached Senior teams at the Poland Open and Grand Prix of Spain, as well as the 2013 Battle at the Falls in Niagara Falls, Canada. She helped coach the USA women at the 2016 1st World Olympic Games Qualifier in Mongolia, where U.S. wrestlers Maroulis and Haley Augello qualified for the Rio Olympics. She also coached the U.S. women at the 2016 Beat the Streets Gala, where Gray and Maroulis beat Canadian opponents. Johnston also helped coach the U.S. women at a 10-day training camp in China as the U.S. women prepared for the Olympic Trials process. Johnston was named 2014 Women's Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. Johnston returned to coaching in recent years after taking time to raise her family. She was a coach at the 2001 Pan American Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where the team won four of the six gold medals and had a medal in every weight class. She also coached the U.S. team at the 2001 Junior World Championships in Martigny, Switzerland, where the USA won two medals. Born in Iran, a nation where as a girl she was not allowed to wrestle, she was the daughter of a top wrestler in Iran. When the family left Iran and ultimately immigrated to the United States, she joined the boys wrestling team at Independence High School, where she started her career as an athlete. Competing under her maiden name Afsoon Roshanzamir, she was a star in the early years of the U.S. Women's wrestling program, before it was an Olympic sport. She was considered one of the true pioneers of women's wrestling in this nation. In 1989, at the World Championships in Martigny, Switzerland, she was the first American woman to win a World medal when she captured a bronze medal. In 1990, she was a World silver medalist. She made four U.S. World teams, including a fifth place finish in the 1992 World Championships. Johnston won three U.S. Open national titles and placed second twice. She was also second at the World Team Trials two times. She captured international medals in the USA, France, Russia, Poland and Canada. She made her first U.S. Senior World freestyle team while still competing in high school. Later, she competed on the men's wrestling team at UC-Davis. Johnston became the first woman to referee a Div. I wrestling match, when she filled in as referee for a UC-Davis dual meet when the assigned official did not attend. She was a local wrestling referee on the high school level while she attended college. Johnston worked as a physical therapist for many years. She is married to Byron Johnston, and they have three children, Aiden, Samira and Layla. VALENTIN KALIKA BIOGRAPHY Kalika over 35 years of professional coaching experience in Ukraine, Israel and the United States. Kalika is the personal coach of two women's freestyle athletes on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team, 2015 World champion and three-time World medalist Helen Maroulis at 53 kg/116.5 lbs. and 2012 World champion and four-time World medalist Elena Pirozhkova at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Pirozhkova is on her second Olympic Team. Kalika is also the personal coach for 2014 Cadet World Champion and two-time Junior World medalist Aaron Pico in men's freestyle. Pico placed second in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 65 kg/143 lbs. He also coached young Cade Olivas in California, who won a Cadet World medal in Greco-Roman, giving him World-medalist students in all three international styles. He currently works as Coaches Education Coordinator for Beat the Streets Los Angeles and also works as a coach for the internationally-respected Titan Mercury Wrestling Club which is located in San Marino, Calif. He has been one of the most active coaches from the United States coaching top American athletes at international events in men's and women's freestyle. In his role as an assigned coach or club coach for competitors on the tour, Kalika has worked with both men and women athletes in Russia, France, Cuba, Bulgaria, Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Spain, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Croatia and Serbia in recent years. As a volunteer, Kalika has been very active in wrestling in California at many levels and has also coached in a variety of roles with California USA Wrestling. He also coached his son Yuri Kalika to a California state high school title and to All-American status at the Junior Nationals. A native of Kiev, Ukraine, Kalika excelled in Greco-Roman wrestling, where he was a Ukrainian national champion and was also a Soviet Union U.S.S.R. University champion. Kalika earned a Master's Degree in Professional Coaching and Sports Education from Kiev Sports University in Ukraine. He served a year as Head Coach of the Ukrainian Junior National Team. With a goal of moving to the United States, Kalika left Ukraine in 1991, and spent three years in Israel, where he was a National Team coach and club coach there. He was able to emigrate to the United States in 1994, and has lived in Orange County, Calif. during his more than 20 years in the nation. For many years, Kalika worked a variety of jobs to support himself and his family, while finding the time on a daily basis to coach the sport as a volunteer. Many of the athletes he helped coach went on to win state, regional and national-level events. From 2004-2007, he hosted a training camp in Ukraine, where young American wrestlers could train with the Ukrainian National Team and continues to bring young athletes there for training and competition opportunities. Kalika won a Veterans World title in Greco-Roman for the United States in 2009, competing at 69 kg/152 lbs. in Division D (51-55 years old). He was also a Veterans Nationals champion in 2009. He agreed to work as personal coach for Aaron Pico under the condition that his goal was to become an Olympic champion. He met Olympian Elena Pirozhkova after the 2012 Games and agreed to coach her, and became Helen Maroulis' personal coach in recent years after meeting her through Elena. Kalika credits Titan Mercury WC founder and Beat the Streets Los Angeles founder Andy Barth for believing in his vision, supporting his coaching career, and allowing him the opportunity to work with talented American wrestlers. Barth also serves as Team Leader for men's freestyle wrestling on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team

Alex Lloyd (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) The amount of wrestling tournaments keeps growing every year. The big ones like the Ironman, Beast of the East, and The Clash are getting infiltrated by events like Who's Number One, Beat the Streets and Preseason Nationals. The sport is becoming a little watered down and winning a national event doesn't carry the same weight it did a decade ago. It seems like every state has a tournament and it gets harder every year to determine which wrestler is the best in the class. Then, if you throw in the travel restrictions each state has for in-season folkstyle, it becomes almost impossible to really know what athletes are the very best. And then there's Fargo. This event has one year left on its contract, and if it moves, who knows what it will be called. But make no mistake, this is the battle for the national championship and there is no other event that comes close to this meat grinder. Most brackets are full of state champions and those that will be. Winning a title here is, without a doubt, the most prestigious accomplishment in high school wrestling. Six summers in a row I have looked for a wrestler with a Minnesota connection that has a decent chance of becoming a champion to follow and write about. I've had some great candidates over the years. Brandon Kingsley and Jake Short came within a match of getting on the big stage. Tommy Thorn, Fredy Stroker, and Griffin Parriott each won the title the year after I followed them. I'm still referred to as the jinx and if I choose a wrestler, it's almost a lock they will win it the next year. Still not one of them has made it to the championship match. Maybe this will be the year. I only have one criteria in my search. The kid has to be likable. I don't really care to spend three days following someone with behavior issues or simply can't hold a conversation. I chose Alex Lloyd from Shakopee, Minnesota. This young man is no longer under the radar. He recently won his first state title in March and was a Cadet National Greco-Roman champion last summer. This year he is moving up to the Junior division where he will face older and much more experienced wrestlers. There will be 99 wrestlers in his Junior freestyle bracket at 145 pounds and it's loaded with superstars. After looking at some of the names, it may be a stretch to make it in the top eight and become an All-American. Day 1: Thursday I start with a visit with Alex's dad, Bill. We talk about the road to the championship. If Alex makes it all the way to the quarters, he should run into Anthony Artalona of Florida. If he survives he should get fellow PINnacle club member and future Minnesota Gopher Hunter Marko. If he somehow wins, he faces the world champion Jarod Verkleeren. This looks impossible. The seeding at 145 pounds looks like this: 1. Jarod Verkleeren 2. Hunter Marko 3. Anthony Artalona Alex Lloyd is not seeded in the top eight. Alex Lloyd finishes a shot against Colorado's Gabriel Dinette (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Match 1: Alex Lloyd vs. Gabriel Dinette (Colorado) This is a good opening match for Lloyd. Dinette is a Colorado state champion as a sophomore finished with a 46-1 record. Alex has great leg attacks and proves it with three straight takedowns in the first minute to jump out to a 6-0 lead. Dinette seems stunned by this and takes a shot of his own. Lloyd uses a nice whizzer and picks up another takedown. The match ends after a pair of pushouts and Lloyd wins a technical fall 10-0. When he comes off the mat he looks tired and more worn than normal. But he's happy to get the win and move on. There's a long road ahead. An hour later we meet again and I notice Alex's eyebrows look like they have been cut into. I asked what happened and he rolls his eyes. He was playing "what are the odds" with a friend. Here's how it works. Alex said, "What are the odds I would shave my eyebrows?" He and his buddy and he pick a number 1 through 5 and if they match, the eyebrows go. He also is wrestling with one leg completely shaved. I asked if he's still going to play, "Heck yeah, it's a blast!" Alex Lloyd's eyebrows were shaved in Fargo Match 2: Alex Lloyd vs. Garrett Model (Wisconsin) Since Lloyd is only 5 feet 4 inches tall, everyone in this weight class has a longer frame and noticeable reach advantage. It is especially the case with Model. He looks 6 feet tall with Kevin McHale-length arms. He won a state title in Wisconsin last year and was the runner-up earlier in the week in Greco. This match starts out like the last with Lloyd attacking the legs with three straight takedowns for a quick 6-1 lead. He picks up exposure points and in less than a minute it's 8-1. Model picks up a takedown for two points and gets two more for back exposure points. Model gets another takedown and it's now 8-7 Lloyd at the end of the first period. Lloyd is dripping with sweat and looks completely exhausted. Model is dry and suddenly full of confidence. Period 2 starts with a bang. Model gets the first takedown and Lloyd answers with one of his own. It's 10-9. Alex gets a pushout for one point and picks up a sweet four-point move on the next takedown to take a 15-9 lead. Model storms back with a beautiful four-pointer of his own. The score is 15-13 Lloyd with 1:28 to go. Model ties the score with a takedown with 29 seconds to go. In the final few seconds there is a wild scramble and two points are given to Lloyd for a 17-15 win. But just as his arm is about to be raised, Model's coach calls for a recount on the score. The head referee adds it up and shockingly raises Model's arm. He is the winner 17-13. Everyone is stunned. Lloyd looks like he might throw up and his body is covered in sweat. He's obviously not well. I leave him alone. I can't believe he's lost this early in the tournament. A half hour later I get a text from Bill Lloyd. The match is under protest. 20 minutes later comes the stunning news on the PA. Alex Lloyd has been declared the winner in his bout with Garrett Model. I later learn Alex Lloyd is very sick and has been throwing up in a garbage can. We also learn Hunter Marko lost his second-round match. Match 3: Alex Lloyd vs. Jake Rando (Louisiana) This is going to be another tough match. Rando is a two-time state champion from Louisiana. These 2 met up in the finals at Folkstyle Nationals a few months ago with Lloyd winning a thriller, 13-10. The whistle blows and Lloyd looks like he has recovered from the bout of sickness. He gets a quick ankle pick for 2-1 lead and then scores four more with a Greco-type throw. Lloyd picks up another takedown and uses a trap-arm gut for two more. The match is over in a flash, 10-0. He is not sweating and he was able to pick up a short nap and drank enough liquids to rehydrate. He looks great. There will be no more matches today. Day 2: Friday Match 4: Alex Lloyd vs. Steven Isaac (New York) This is a big day. By tonight all placement matches will be decided. Lloyd is feeling a little nervous. "One mistake like yesterday, and I'm in trouble. I have to stay focused. This is it for me," Lloyd says. Isaac wrestles in the Catholic league in New York. He finished third last season and was runner-up the state freestyle and Greco tournament. He is not well known and is a surprise to make this match. The winner should get Artalona. Lloyd gets a quick takedown and puts Isaac on his back. Isaac is fighting to survive and get to his belly. Lloyd squeezes hard and the ref slaps the mat. It's a pin in 22 seconds. Alex is all business after this match. He is not very talkative and knows he has the toughest challenge in front of him. He's made the quarterfinals and his toughest opponent is waiting. Alex Lloyd attempts to finish a single leg against Florida's Anthony Artalona (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Match 5: Alex Lloyd vs. Anthony Artalona (Florida) Anthony Artalona is ranked No. 17 overall in the junior class by InterMat. He's a two-time state champion and three-time state finalist in Florida. He was a Fargo double champion at the Cadet level in 2015. Alex has faced him, but has never won. This will be great test. Artalona is built like a running back and has the perfect wrestling physique. He looks much bigger and heavier than Lloyd. At the whistle Lloyd uses his signature ankle pick to surprise Artalona and jumps out to a 2-0 lead. It's a wild affair for the next two minutes with both wrestlers taking numerous shots without success. In the last 30 seconds Artalona takes Lloyd down and the first period ends 2-2. The second period begins and Artalona has confidence and scores another takedown. The next minute is all Lloyd trying every weapon in his arsenal, but Artalona has an answer for each attempt. Anthony picks up a takedown followed by a gut wrench for two more. Lloyd finds a way to pick up one more point on a pushout but he will come up short here. Artalona wins 8-3. Last year I noticed Alex had a large cross tattoo on the side of his rib cage. This year he has added a scripture. He's a spiritual kid and will carry this message the rest of his life. "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13. Alex Lloyd's tattoo Match 6: Alex Lloyd vs. Devin Bahr (Wisconsin) It's always tough coming off a disappointing loss. But there's no time to feel sorrow here. This is the blood round and the winner will make it to the podium. The loser goes home empty. Barr is a well-known commodity. He is a two-time Wisconsin state champion and is committed to the Badgers. Lloyd comes out on fire with three straight takedowns in 90 seconds to take a 6-0 lead. They exchange pushouts and the period ends 7-1 Lloyd. Period 2 begins with a flurry and Lloyd attacks the legs and exposes Bahr's back. It's over. 11-1. Alex Lloyd is guaranteed to be an All-American. Match 7: Alex Lloyd vs. Jarrett Jacques (Missouri) This is another really tough-looking opponent for Lloyd. Jacques is a two-time Missouri state champion and has a great profile on Trackwrestling. Jacques is muscular and pushes Alex out of the circle to open a 1-0 lead. He follows with four takedowns against one Lloyd pushout. 9-1. Alex storms back with a pretty four-point move and then another takedown. A wild scramble brings the period to an end. Jacques leads 10-7. The whistle blows and Jacques picks up four more takedowns and wins 18-7. Alex Lloyd will wrestle for seventh place tomorrow. Day 3: Saturday There were 1021 wrestlers in the Junior division starting Thursday. There are only 120 left today. By the time today is over, 9,096 matches will be wrestled. This morning's session is loosey-goosey. Everyone wants to win, but it's an honor to be around on Saturday. Alex Lloyd seeks me out and we exchange fist bumps. He's full of smiles and he's extremely happy his week is coming to an end. He cracks a few jokes and we share a good laugh. He's a good kid and is very comfortable around an old guy like me. Alex Lloyd locks up a gut wrench against Iowa's Zach Barnes (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Match 8: Alex Lloyd vs. Zach Barnes (Iowa) This bout starts like most others as Lloyd picks up a takedown on a single leg attack to lead 2-0. Barnes returns the favor with one of his own and Alex quickly reverses. The next minute is all Alex Lloyd. He uses his cat-like speed and raw power for a pair of takedowns and gets exposure points. In a flash it's over. Alex Lloyd wins by technical fall, 13-2. He will finish seventh in the nation. We both look over at the championship mat. Anthony Artalona is getting his hand raised. He took out world champion, Jarod Verkleeren, 2-1. The tournament is over. All 120 placewinners will get their turn up on the big stage with a trophy. Alex Lloyd is here for the sixth time in three years. He has entered both styles all three years and is a six-time All-American and two-time champion. He stands next to the other seven All-Americans in his weight class. None are smiling except Artalona. That's the way it should be. There's only one champion here. But the other seven are winners. They just don't believe it. Alex Lloyd gets his hand raised after winning his final match in Fargo (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Steve Elwood resides in Rochester, Minnesota. He can be reached at steveel@rstransportinc.com. To learn more about Alex Lloyd and his journey from Russian orphan to American wrestling star, read profile story.

Tom Brands (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors) Tom Brands of Iowa City, Iowa, Mark Manning of Lincoln, Neb. and Lou Rosselli of Columbus, Ohio have been named as the volunteer freestyle coaches for the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The freestyle wrestling competition will be held August 19-21 at the Carioca 2 Arena in Rio. They will work with National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett and Assistant National Freestyle Coaches Bill Zadick and Brandon Slay in the preparation of the team and the coaching of the athletes at the Olympic Games. These assignments are subject to approval by the United States Olympic Committee. Brands was a 2004 Olympic coach in Athens, Greece, where the USA won three medals including a gold medal. He also coached the 2015 U.S. World Team which had three medalists, including two champions, and the 2014 U.S. World Team, which had two medalists. He has been on the coaching staff of numerous other U.S. World Teams. He is a coach with the Hawkeye WC, and was named 2002 Freestyle Coach of the Year. He is personal coach for 2016 Olympian Daniel Dennis. Brands is head coach at the University of Iowa, where he has coached the Hawkeyes to three NCAA team titles and has mentored nine NCAA individual champions. He was a 1996 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling at 62 kg, and won a gold medal at the 1993 World Championships. He also won three NCAA titles as a student-athlete at Iowa. "When you have a responsibility like this, you keep your ears open. You want your athletes to be open minded and that's the way I am. We have a Team Leader named Andy Barth, who reminded the coaches that there is still a lot of work to do. That was pretty profound. I listened because it is hard-hitting. There is a lot of work to do and a short time to get there. We have six guys who are looking for the same thing. They are looking for the same thing that 19 to 20 others in their weight class are looking at. The time is short. Zero hour is upon us. We want to get in that mode of staying sharp. Coaches Burnett, Zadick and Slay are doing a good job conveying that to these guys. It's up to the individual coaches and the volunteer coaches to march with that message loud and clear," said Brands. Mark Manning (Photo/Tony Rotudno, WrestlersAreWarriors) Manning was a 2012 Olympic coach in London, England, where the USA won three medals including two gold medals. He coached with the 2011 U.S. World Team, which was third in the World Championships, as well as the 2009 World Team. He has been on the coaching staff for two other U.S. Olympic Teams. He is a coach for the Nebraska Wrestling Training Center and with the Sunkist Kids, and was 2011 and 2015 USA Wrestling Freestyle Coach of the Year. He is head coach at the University of Nebraska, where he has coached 42 All-Americans and led the Huskers to six top-eight finishes at the NCAA Championships. "It is a great opportunity. I am honored because I am representing Team USA. We are putting our effort and energy into these guys, doing everything they can do to reach their goal as Olympic champion. We have six guys who are very driven. Their preparation is with a purpose. I am excited that I am a part of that and I will do everything I can for these guys," said Manning. Lou Rosselli (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors) Rosselli was a a 2012 Olympic coach in London, England, where the USA won three medals including two gold medals. He has coached numerous U.S. World Teams, including most recently at the 2015 World Championships, where the USA won three medals, including two champions. He is a personal coach for 2016 U.S. Olympians Kyle Snyder and Tervel Dlagnev. Snyder became the youngest U.S. World champion in 2015 at age 19. Rosselli serves as Associate Head Coach at the Ohio State University, where he has worked 10 years and helped lead the Buckeyes to the 2015 NCAA team title. He was a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team which competed in Atlanta, Ga., and was a two-time NCAA All-American as a student-athlete at Edinboro. "I am always excited to help the Olympic team. I was fortunate enough in 2012 to help out. Being selected by Coach Burnett is a great honor. I am pleased to be helping. I believe we have a good team and it will go really well," said Rosselli. The three Olympic coaches believe the U.S. men's freestyle wrestlers are capable of great things in Rio. "We have the potential and we have the talent. It is a matter of going out there and doing it. I always feel good about the United States of America. A lot of people like to say college wrestling and folkstyle hurts our international effort. Not me. I believe in being American. I believe in American ingenuity, American know-how and American independence. It's an edge that these other countries don't have, and they don't even know what it's like. I believe that. Add the individuals we have, those six wrestlers, to the American independence. Now you have American know-how and some pretty talented guys that can get the job done," said Brands. "I think we should have every guy on the podium. We would love to have six gold medals but the reality is to just get them on the podium. Getting them a medal is huge for our country. We are not only capable of doing it, but I think these guys believe they belong there. That is exciting. I don't think we have had that mentality for awhile. They are a tight team, too. Their unity and the spirit about them really separates this team. Hopefully, from August 19-21 they are shining and are at their best," said Manning. "Our goal should always be the same, to win six medals and hopefully, they would be gold. We know the world is tough. We have to do everything in our power to give them their best chance, from training them correctly to their recovery to tapering them down right, to scouting their opponents. Our chances are good. I think every guy in every weight class has a chance to be successful. As we come down the stretch, we have to make sure we flip every rock and we do our part to give them the best chance to win," said Rosselli. National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett is pleased to work with these Olympic coaches, who have made a big difference in the preparation for Rio. "I couldn't be happier having the coaches that we have. I had the opportunity to coach and work with Tom Brands when he was an athlete and also as a coach. I worked with Mark Manning when we were both on staff at USA Wrestling. I got to coach Lou Rosselli at the 1996 Olympic Games. They have been to all of our training camps. This is a crew that has been involved and made the commitment to help get their athletes better and help the USA get better. It is hard for them to get to all the camps and events and still take care of business at home. These guys have made the commitment to make the USA great, and I couldn't be more proud of the coaches we have," said Burnett. TOM BRANDS BIOGRAPHY Brands previously served as a 2004 Olympic Team coach in Athens, Greece, helping lead the USA team to a three-medal performance, which included gold medalist Cael Sanderson and silver medalists Stephen Abas and Jamill Kelly. He was a coach with the 2015 U.S. World Team which won three medals, including two champions, in Las Vegas, Nev. Brands was one of the Freestyle World Team Coaches for the 2014 World Wrestling Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where the USA had a pair of bronze medalists, and placed ninth in the standings. Brands served as the Assistant Coach of the 2003 U.S. Freestyle World Team, which placed a strong second at the World Championships in New York City, led by two silver medalists. He was also the Assistant Coach of the 2002 U.S. Freestyle World Team that was scheduled to compete in Tehran, Iran, but did not compete due to a threat to the team's safety. Brands was a member of the U.S. coaching staff at the 2001 World Championships, and has coached a number of other U.S. teams in international competition. He was named 2002 Freestyle Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. He serves as a coach for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club, one of the nation's elite Regional Training Centers. Brands is also a personal coach for 2016 U.S. Olympian Daniel Dennis. Brands works as the head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa. Brands has led the Hawkeyes to three NCAA and four Big Ten team titles. Brands was named 2008 NWCA Coach of the Year after leading the Hawkeyes to their first NCAA team title since 2000 and their first Big Ten team title since 2004. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2008, 2009 and 2010, becoming the first coach in conference history to earn the honor in three consecutive seasons. He has coached nine NCAA champions, 13 Big Ten champions and 56 All-Americans. Iowa has also won or shared eight of the last nine Big Ten regular season titles. Brands also served as head coach at Virginia Tech University for two seasons (2005-06). Brands led the team to the 2005 regular season Atlantic Coast Conference title. He was an assistant coach at Iowa for 12 seasons (1993-2004) and was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year in 2000. Brands was one of the greatest U.S. freestyle wrestlers of all time, claiming a gold medal at 136.5 pounds at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga. He also won a World gold medal at the 1993 World Championships in Toronto, Canada. Between 1993 and 1996, Brands was the top U.S. wrestler at his weight class and represented the United States in numerous major international events. He won two World Cup gold medals (1994 and 1995) and was the 1995 Pan American Games champion. He also claimed four U.S. Nationals titles (1993-96) and made four straight U.S. World or Olympic teams (1993-96). Along with brother, Terry, he was named 1993 USA Wrestling Athlete of the Year, the 1993 John Smith Outstanding Freestyle Wrestler, and 1993 Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year. He has been inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member. He was a three-time NCAA Div. I champion at the Univ. of Iowa (1990-92) a four-time All-American and three-time Big Ten champion with a career mark of 158-7-2. MARK MANNING BIOGRAPHY Mark Manning was an Olympic coach in men's freestyle wrestling for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. The United States won two gold medals, by Jordan Burroughs and Jake Varner, and a bronze medal by Coleman Scott. Manning served as a member of the 2011 U.S. World Team coaching staff, and the team placed third in the World Championships final standings with two medalists, including World champion Jordan Burroughs and bronze medalist Jake Varner. Manning was a 2009 U.S. World Team Coach which competed at the World Championships in Herning, Denmark, placing seventh as a team with two medalists. He is the personal coach of 2012 Olympic champion and 2016 Olympian Jordan Burroughs at 74 kg and 2015 World bronze medalist James Green at 70 kg. Burroughs has now won an Olympic gold medal, three World gold medals and a World bronze medal with Manning as his personal coach. Manning also coached Burroughs and Green at the Univ. of Nebraska. Burroughs won two NCAA Div. I titles (2009, 2011) and was named the 2011 Dan Hodge Trophy winner as the nation's best college wrestler. Green was a four-time All-American for the Huskers. Manning was the Head Coach for the 2001 U.S. Freestyle World Team and trained the team for the event. After the attack of September 11, the World Championships were moved from New York to Bulgaria and Manning could not attend the 2001 World Championships due to college coaching responsibilities. He was also a coach with the 2000 Pan American Championships team, which claimed the team title. Manning was head coach of the 1994 and 1996 Junior World teams, and also coached the 1992 Cadet World team. He was an assistant coach for the 2008 U.S. Junior World Team. He also coached at two U.S. Olympic Festivals. He served on the coaching staff of the 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic teams. He served as the assistant coach of the 1997 U.S. Freestyle World Team, which placed sixth in the team standings in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. The team featured one gold and one silver medalist. Manning was also on the coaching staffs of numerous other U.S. World teams. Manning won the Terry McCann Freestyle Coach of the Year from USA Wrestling two times, in 2011 and 2015. He was also named UWW's International Freestyle Coach for 2011, the first U.S. recipient of the award in recent history. Manning is a coach with the Nebraska Wrestling Training Center, the regional training affiliated with the University of Nebraska. He is also a coach with the nationally respected Sunkist Kids club. He served as USA Wrestling's National Developmental Coach during early 1993, managing the organization's age-group national team programs. Manning currently works as the head wrestling coach for Div. I wrestling powerhouse Nebraska. In his 16 years at the helm, he has coached 42 All-Americans and has led the Huskers to six top-eight finishes at the NCAA Championships. He became the winningest coach in school history on Feb. 21, 2015 when he picked up his 200th win at Nebraska. Manning holds a 212-80-3 record at NU, and a 235-105-5 mark overall. He won back-to-back Big 12 Coach-of-the-Year awards (2008 and 2009) after guiding Nebraska to a share of the conference crown in 2009 and a runner-up finish in 2008. He also guided Nebraska to its first Big 12 wrestling title ever in 2009. Prior to taking over the Cornhusker program, Manning was the head coach at the Univ. of Northern Iowa, helping revive the program during his three seasons there. The Panthers were 11th at the 2000 NCAA Championships, and he coached individual NCAA champion Tony Davis. Manning also served assistant coaching stints at the Univ. of Oklahoma for four seasons and the Univ. of North Carolina for eight years. As an athlete, Manning was an Olympic Trials finalist in 1988, and placed in the U.S. Nationals four times. He was a two-time NCAA Div. II national champion and three-time All-American for the Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha. Manning has been inducted into the NCAA Div. II Hall of Fame. He was a three-time South Dakota high school state champion from Vermillion, S.D. LOU ROSSELLI BIOGRAPHY Lou Rosselli was a 2012 Olympic coach and helped lead the USA to three individual medalists, champions Jordan Burroughs and Jake Varner and bronze medalist Coleman Scott. The USA was third in the unofficial standings. Rosselli has coached numerous U.S. Senior World Teams, including the 2015 U.S. World Team, which won three medals, including two champions in Las Vegas, Nev.. He was a 2013 U.S. World Team Coach, helping lead the USA to a fifth-place finish in Budapest, Hungary. Rosselli served as a 2011 U.S. World Team Coach in Istanbul, Turkey, which finished third in the team standings. Rosselli also served as a 2007 U.S. World Team Coach, helping lead the United States to a fourth place finish. He also served as a World Team Coach for the 2006 U.S. Freestyle World Team, which placed third as a team in Guangzhou, China. He is the personal coach for 2016 Olympians Kyle Snyder at 96 kg and Tervel Dlagnev at 125 kg. Snyder was a Senior World champion in 2015, the youngest in U.S. history at age 19. In 2013, Rosselli coached an amazing five athletes on the U.S. World Team, Dlagnev plus Angel Escobedo at 55 kg, Reece Humphrey at 60 kg, Keith Gavin at 84 kg and J.D. Bergman at 96 kg. He also had three members on the 2015 U.S. World Team, Snyder, Dlagnev and Humphrey. Rosselli is a coach with the nationally respected New York Athletic Club, and is the head coach at the Ohio Regional Training Center, which has won the RTC Cup as the nation's most successful freestyle RTC. He was the assistant coach of the 2005 U.S. World University Games Team, which placed third in the team standings with three individual gold medalists in Izmir, Turkey. He also coached the 2010 U.S. World University Championships team in Torino, Italy. He was also a coach for the U.S. team at the 2009 Pan American Championships. Rosselli has also coached a number of other U.S. teams on international tours. He has received the Terry McCann Freestyle Coach of the Year from USA Wrestling two times, in 2007 and 2013. Rosselli serves as the Associate Head Coach at The Ohio State University, working on the staff with head coach Tom Ryan and has been with the Buckeyes for 10 seasons. He was instrumental in helping the Buckeyes win its first NCAA Div. I national title in 2015, plus NCAA runner-up finishes in 2008 and 2009. Among the stars he has coached with the Buckeye program was four-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber and two-time NCAA champion J Jaggers. Previously, he served 11 seasons as an assistant coach at Edinboro Univ., eight years as a full-time assistant and three years as a volunteer assistant. Rosselli has helped build the Scotsmen into a nationally competitive program on the Div. I level. Rosselli competed at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga., at 114.5 pounds. He was a 1997 World Cup champion, and won a silver medal at the 1998 Pan American Championships. He won U.S. National freestyle titles three times (1995, 1996, 1999) and was second in the 1998 U.S. Nationals. Rosselli was also a University Nationals freestyle champion in 1994. Rosselli placed third at the 1993 NCAA Championships and was fourth in the 1991 NCAA Championships for Edinboro Univ. A native of Middleport, N.Y., Rosselli was a two-time New York state champion at Royalton-Hartland High School, in addition to finishing second once and third once.

With just less than two weeks ahead of the 2016 Olympics, this week's Takedown TV provides a look ahead at the Summer Games. Among this week's features: UWW Vice President Stan Dziedzic addresses IOC's decision on Russia athletes Dan Dennis, Frank Molinaro, Jordan Burroughs, J'den Cox, and Kyle Snyder after Olympic simulations at Olympic Training Center Look inside a century of Springfield College wrestling by Riccio Productions Interview with NASA Scientist Dr. Kjell Lindgren who is the keynote speaker for the annual NWCA Wrestling Coaches Association Convention Watch this week's episode here ... or at the Takedown Wrestling's YouTube Channel. In addition, Takedown Wrestling TV is aired on these television networks. All air times are Central. Cablevision: Sundays at 4 p.m. Charter Cable: Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Friday 11:30 p.m. and Monday 2:30 p.m. Comcast Cable: Friday at 5:00 p.m. Cox Cable: Sunday 9:30 a.m. Fight Network HD: Sundays at 4:00 p.m. KWEM, Stillwater, Oklahoma: Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. Long Lines Cable: Daily at 5:30 p.m. Mediacom Cable: Sundays at 10:30 a.m. MidCo Sports Network: Saturday 10:00 a.m. and Sunday at 9:00 a.m. SECV8: Friday at 5:00 p.m.

Joey Davis, undefeated four-time NCAA Division II wrestling champ for Notre Dame College of Ohio, will be making his professional mixed martial arts debut at Bellator 160 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. on August 26. Davis' father, also named Joey, posted the news on his Facebook page Tuesday afternoon with a simple message -- "God is good!" -- along with a link to an MMAJunkie.com news story. Joey Davis (Photo/Notre Dame College)No opponent has been announced for Davis. News of Davis' debut was somewhat overshadowed by another announcement: the pro debut of "Baby Slice" Kevin Ferguson, Jr., son of the late MMA star Kimbo Slice, at the same event. Both Davis' and Ferguson's bouts will be preliminary matches on a card where one of the headline events will feature yet another collegiate wrestling champ now competing in MMA, Bubba Jenkins. Just six weeks ago, Bellator MMA announced it had signed Joey Davis to a professional contract. His hometown paper, the Compton (Calif.) Herald, reported that he would be competing at 170 pounds. At the time of his signing back in mid-June, Davis told InterMat, "I'll say this I'm happy to join my family AJ McKee and Aaron Pico and Ed Ruth and try and make some more history God willing. I am truly blessed and grateful for this opportunity Bellator has given me. I have a great team and coach with Antonio McKee who's been my coach since I was 7 years old. He is awesome. We have Chase Gormley, Emanuel Newton, Bubba Jenkins, Kimbo Slice Jr., all who are talented so we will see." Davis completed his collegiate mat career in March by winning his fourth national title at the 2016 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, closing with a perfect 131-0 overall record. With that championship, Davis became only the third college wrestler in NCAA competition to compile four national titles along with a perfect record ... and the first in Division II. The other two flawless four-timers: Cael Sanderson, who earned four Division I titles for Iowa State, and a 159-0 mark ... and Marcus LeVesseur of Augsburg College, tallying four D3 crowns, and a 155-0 record.

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY -- United World Wrestling's Executive Board today appointed a Special Commission with the mandate to review the doping cases related to the Russian wrestlers currently qualified to compete for the Rio Games. The commission's deliberations will include a review of the findings from the McLaren Report, a detailed report of the doping-tests results administered by various international doping agencies and a review of any previous bans on Russian qualified wrestlers. These findings will determine the list of Russian wrestlers to be presented to the IOC for entry into the Rio Olympic Games. The Special Commission: Michel DUSSON (FRA) -- Secretary General, United World Wrestling (Chairman) Stan DZIEDZIC (USA) -- Vice President, United World Wrestling Akhroldjan RUZIEV (UZB) -- Vice President, United World Wrestling Carlos ROY (GBR) -- Director of Medical, United World Wrestling The Special Commission is scheduled to publish its decision regarding the acceptability of Russian wrestlers for the Rio Games before the end of the day Thursday, 28th of July. Per the guidelines set by the International Olympic Committee the names and cases of those approved are then handed over to a representative from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) who will make the final decision on the eligibility of commission-approved Russian athletes. The decisions made by the Special Commission will be in accordance to the conditions outlined by the (IOC) Executive Board criteria on the participation of Russian athletes in Rio de Janeiro.

A GoFundMe.com page has been established for the family of Brodie Zacherl, a wrestler at Clarion University, who has been hospitalized in Pittsburgh for more than two weeks with a serious, rare illness, the Clarion, Pennsylvania-based website d9sports.com reported Monday. Brodie Zacherl"Brodie is hospitalized at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital and has been in ICU since July 8, 2016," according to the "Brodie's Medical Fund" GoFundMe page. "He has been diagnosed with a rare illness, Lemierre Syndrome, which started out as strep throat. This syndrome created an abscess which broke apart causing numerous septic emboli (pus sacs) to enter in and outside his lungs and into his blood stream. Only 1 in 1,000,000 cases of strep throat develop this syndrome. Brodie has been on a ventilator and has had multiple complications since his admission to the ICU with minimal improvement. He will continue to be at the hospital for an undetermined amount of time." Brodie Zacherl, 21, wrestles at 149 pounds at Clarion. When he's not on the wrestling mat, Brodie is majoring in business and has 3.5 GPA. His twin brother Brock is a 141 pounder for the Clarion Golden Eagles. Their sister Alli, 16, is about to start her junior year at Brookville High School. The GoFundMe.com page was set up to help with medical expenses as well as everyday living experiences. Emily Zacherl, a registered nurse who has been at Brodie's bedside the past two weeks, is the sole breadwinner for the family, and has exhausted her paid time off. In addition, the family is anticipating extensive therapy once Brodie Zacherl is released from the hospital.

Mike Finn of WIN Magazine and mat legend Chris Campbell will be featured guests on this week's edition of the On the Mat wrestling broadcast on Wednesday, July 27. Finn is editor of Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine which covers all aspects of amateur wrestling. Campbell won the bronze medal in freestyle at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics just one month before his 38th birthday, making him the oldest U.S. wrestler to become an Olympic medalist. Campbell was a three-time NCAA All-American and two-time NCAA champ while at the University of Iowa in the late 1970s. On the Mat is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at 1650thefan.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday at 5 p.m. Central on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com.

Parveen Rana wrestling Alex Dieringer at the Freestyle World Cup (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Parveen Rana will wrestle for India at the 2016 Olympics in men's freestyle at 74 kilograms/163 pounds, replacing Narsingh Yadav, the Indian Olympic Association told United World Wrestling Tuesday. Yadav, who qualified his nation for the 2016 Games at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, had failed an out-of-competition anti-doping test and had been provisionally suspended by the IOA, and unable to compete in Rio de Janeiro next month. Yadav has maintained his innocence, claiming that someone had sabotaged his food supplements and water supply, and is appealing the decision. United World Wrestling had informed the IOA it would be able to replace Yadav with another wrestler that since his positive test occurred outside of the qualification event. If the IOA had failed to replace Yadav, India would have been required to vacate the qualification spot. Among Rana's mat accomplishments: he won the gold medal at 74 kg at the 2014 Dave Schultz international wrestling tournament in Colorado Springs, USA, defeating former Penn State All-American Dan Vallimont in the finals.

How do you get into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame? For most of us, simply show up at the Hall in Stillwater, Oklahoma and pay the nominal admission to visit. For an outstanding individual within the world of amateur wrestling to be immortalized in the Hall, we mere mortals can help ... by nominating someone we feel is worthy. That time is now. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame is now accepting nominations for the Class of 2017, which will be inducted during the annual Honors Weekend on June 2-3, 2017 in Stillwater. Individuals within the wrestling community can nominate individuals for Distinguished Member, Meritorious Official, Order of Merit, Outstanding American and Medal of Courage during the month of August. Here's an explanation of each of these categories: Distinguished Members can be a wrestler who has achieved extraordinary success in national and/or international competition; a coach who has demonstrated great leadership in the profession and who has compiled an outstanding record; or a contributor whose long-term activities have substantially enhanced the development and advancement of the sport. Nominees who are 60 years and older are screened by the Veterans Committee. The Distinguished Member Screening Committee will pare the list to at least 12 nominees for the final ballot. Comprised of past honorees and individuals knowledgeable about the sport, the Distinguished Member Selection Committee and the Veterans Committee rank nominees in order of preference. Ballots are submitted to the NWHOF and sent to the Honorary Chair to be verified by a certified accounting firm. The confirmed selection of inductees is then returned to the NWHOF. Official nominations are due Sept. 1. To see individuals already installed as Distinguished Members, click here. The Outstanding American award recognizes individuals who have used the disciplines of the sport to launch notable careers after concluding their wrestling career. Past recipients have included individuals who have excelled in science, technology, business, industry, government, military, and arts and humanities. The NWHOF Executive Committee prioritizes and submits a list of nominees in rank order to the NWHOF Executive Director, who contacts nominees in order until one confirms acceptance of award. Nominations must be submitted by Sept. 15. (A list of those already honored as Outstanding American may be viewed here.) The Medal of Courage recipient is a wrestler or former wrestler who has overcome what appear to be insurmountable challenges, providing inspiration to others. Nominations are screened by the NWHOF Executive Committee and placed on a ballot that is voted on by the Board of Governors. Sept. 15 is the deadline for nominations in this category. (See who's already been honored with the Medal of Courage here.) The Order of Merit is presented to an individual that has made a significant contribution to the sport of wrestling, but who is not an athlete or a coach. Nominations are submitted by Distinguished Members and placed on a ballot. Distinguished Members voting ballots are submitted to the NWHOF for tabulation. Deadline for nominations is Sept. 15. (Click here for a list of honorees who have already received Order of Merit.) The Meritorious Official award recognizes outstanding service as a referee, judge or pairing official. Nominations are screened, placed on a ballot and voted on by the Meritorious Official Selection Committee, which is a combination of honorees and individuals knowledgeable about the sport. Ballots are returned to the NWHOF for tabulation. Sept. 1 is the deadline for nominations in this category. (Past Meritorious Official honorees may be viewed here.) Nomination forms are available online. As America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. In June, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum reopened after a $3.8 million renovation that now features interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame is located on the corner of Hall of Fame Avenue and Duck Street in Stillwater. The museum is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (all times Central). Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for military veterans and seniors (65 and older), $3 for students and $15 for a family. Children 5 and under are free. Website: www.nwhof.org.

James Green was undefeated at the Freestyle World Cup in LA (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Global Wrestling News for the last week of July reports on the wide world of wrestling, from developments within our country, to Germany and the world beyond. This week's show covers that world with these feature segments: Reactions from Fargo: Asics/Vaughn Cadet and Junior National Championships One-on-one with World Bronze Medalist, James Green Virginia Tech promotes Derek St. John and Mike Zadick What does the Geo Martinez transfer mean for Oklahoma State? This half-hour Global Wrestling News broadcast presents the news about all aspects of amateur wrestling, in a fast-paced sports news format featuring Scott Casber and Tony Hager, along with comments and opinions from wrestling aficionado Wayne Eric Boyd, who champions the oldest and greatest sport. Global Wrestling News is a subsidiary of Global Wrestling Championships and owned by Titan Mercury Wrestling Club. This week's show has been posted at TheMat.com, TMWC1.com, and Takedown Wrestling's website. In addition, it is available on Takedown Wrestling's YouTube channel. What's more, you'll find Global Wrestling News on these cable, satellite and broadcast channels. (All times Central.) Cablevision: Sundays at 4 p.m. Charter Cable: Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Friday 11:30 p.m. and Monday 2:30 p.m. Cox Cable: Sunday 9:30 a.m. Fight Network HD: Sundays at 4:00 p.m. Long Lines Cable: Daily at 5:30 p.m. Mediacom Cable: Sundays at 10:30 a.m. MidCo Sports Network: Saturday 10:00 a.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m. Suddenlink Cable: Check your local listings. Multiple air times.

UWW President Nenad Lalovic On Monday, United World Wrestling President Nenad Lalovic released a statement on the eligibility of Russian wrestlers for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Dear Wrestling Community: The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) this week voted to have the International Federations governing each Olympic sport assist in determining which Russian athletes may participate at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. In keeping with the IOC's decision, United World Wrestling has initiated a process to validate each of the Russian wrestlers qualified for the Rio 2016 Games. We already know that WADA-accredited laboratories outside of Russia have tested each Russian wrestler submitted for competition at the Games -- with athletes passing as many as four separate tests. United World Wrestling is committed to work jointly with the World Anti-Doping Agency and the IOC to preserve the integrity of sport and ensure wrestlers are clean. In our pursuit to deliver a doping-free Games United World Wrestling has done the following: Communicated to WADA that we are in full support of investigations into National Federation's under suspicion of doping violations. Commissioned an independent Swedish testing company, International Doping Tests & Management AB (IDTM), to administer out-of-competition tests in Russia. Those tests are securely transported to the WADA-approved lab in Cologne, Germany. Clarified to the IOC that the RUSADA and Moscow labs implicated in the recently published McLaren Report are not part of United World Wrestling's testing protocol. Received the names implicated in the McLaren report on July 24 and requested more information and evidence re: the wrestlers said to be implicated in "disappearing positive tests." Wrestling has been at the forefront of recent changes to international anti-doping protocols. In 2013 United World Wrestling overhauled its anti-doping procedures, increased testing and has also developed a more systematic anti-doping education program. In February 2015 United World Wrestling approved increased funding for its out-of-competition testing program and significantly expanded the financial penalties placed on each National Federations for a positive test. While we must continue to be vigilant, we've made substantial progress including the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, USA where USADA tested 108 athletes from 38 countries without a doping violation. A zero-tolerance outcome needs to become the standard in our sport, and it's our desire that recent events will help prompt more positive change. Thank you for your concern regarding the integrity of our sport. Sincerely, Nenad Lalovic President, United World Wrestling

Rio Olympic Village With the Opening Ceremonies for the 2016 Olympics are less than two weeks away, much has been written about whether host city Rio de Janeiro is ready to host the Summer Games, with concerns about crime, the Zika virus, water pollution, transportation issues and political and financial upheaval topping the list. Now add problems with athlete housing at the Olympic Village. Sunday was scheduled to be move-in day for many athletes -- including some from Team USA -- but representatives from a number of participant nations have complained about the recently-completed facilities, the New York Times reported Monday. The leader of the Australian Olympic delegation was among the more outspoken participants, saying said its athletes would not be checking in because of problems with plumbing, electricity and natural gas. "Problems include blocked toilets, leaking pipes, exposed wiring, darkened stairwells where no lighting has been installed and dirty floors in need of a massive clean," said Kitty Chiller, Australia's chef de mission in Rio de Janeiro for the Australian Olympic Committee. A "stress test" that Australian officials conducted at the village on Saturday night led to the decision to not allow its athletes to move in. To test the facilities, the officials simultaneously turned on lights and flushed toilets in apartments on several floors. "The system failed," Chiller said. "Water came down walls, there was a strong smell of gas in some apartments, and there was shorting in electrical wiring." "This is my fifth Olympics Games, I have never experienced a Village in this lack of state of readiness at this point in time," Chiller told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Chiller said that delegations from Britain, New Zealand and other countries were experiencing similar problems in the Olympic Village. Sweden's women's soccer team also refused to move into its apartments because of similar problems, according to a Brazilian newspaper, which went on to report that the United States, Italy and the Netherlands had paid to hire workers to finish their rooms. Even the host country's athletes are being kept out of the Olympic Village, staying in hotels until problems are repaired. The United States expects to have 500 athletes and staff members staying in the athletes' village. "As is the case with every Games, we're working with the local organizers to address minor issues and make sure the village is ready for Team USA athletes," said Patrick Sandusky, a spokesman for the United States Olympic Committee. Rio's mayor, Eduardo Paes, has reportedly tried to laugh off any problems, claiming he was considering putting in a kangaroo to "make the Australians feel at home." On a more serious note, Paes claimed the Rio athlete housing was "more beautiful and better" than the one in Sydney in the 2000 Olympics. While numerous programs were revealed this weekend, the worst may already be history. Australia's Chiller said a team of plumbers was already at work to fix the problems. "I am reasonably confident that we will be able to enter the Village on Wednesday," Chiller said. Chiller added that the rest of the Olympic Village "is one of the best" she had seen. A spokesman for the British delegation confirmed problems but added that issues are being addressed, saying "this is not uncommon with new-build structures of this type." New Zealand Olympic Committee chef de mission Rob Waddell said the village was not completely ready when he arrived last week but the issues had been resolved. "We were disappointed the village wasn't as ready as it might have been when we arrived and it hasn't been easy. Our team has had to get stuck in to get the job done," Waddell said in a statement, adding that his nation's athletes were beginning to move into the village. Once repairs are completed, the approximately 10,000 athletes moving into the 31-building village will find a self-contained community planned to have all the services they need over the 17 days of the 2016 Olympics. In addition to the athlete apartments which feature two shared bedrooms on either side of a small living area, the village itself also includes a large dining hall, a smaller restaurant, and prayer rooms for different faiths.

Clint Poster could be considered to be the poster boy for hard-working, high-achieving student-athlete who excels in the classroom and in his sport, wrestling. St. Cloud State wrestler Clint Poster gets his hand raised at the NCAAs (Photo/Tom Nelson, SCSU Athletics)Poster has been named Male Senior Student-Athlete of the Year at St. Cloud State University, the Minnesota-based NCAA Division II mat powerhouse announced Friday. Poster earned his fourth consecutive All-American honor for the SCSU Huskies wrestling team in 2015-16. He placed third at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and also placed fourth at the NCAAs in 2013. The native of Pierz, Minn. concluded his career as the winningest wrestler in the history of the program with 146 victories. Poster set team records with 40 victories and 19 falls at 165 pounds in 2015-16. In four seasons as a Husky, Poster helped lead St. Cloud State to back-to-back NCAA Division II national team titles in 2015 and 2016, along with four consecutive NSIC championships. He capped off his mat career being named 2016 NSIC (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) Wrestler of the Year. An entrepreneurship major at St. Cloud State, Poster was also an academic all-star. Poster was a four-time NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) All-Academic award winner and a three-time All-NSIC Academic award recipient. Women's volleyball star Brianne Stamer was named St. Cloud State's Female Senior Student-Athlete of 2016. St. Cloud State senior-class athletes are nominated for the award by their team's coach and the award is determined by a vote of the Athletic Department's coaches and staff.

Narsingh Yadav, set to wrestle for India in men's freestyle at 74 kilograms/163 pounds at the 2016 Rio Olympics, has tested positive for a banned steroid ... with the 74 kilogram/163 pound wrestler blaming sabotage. Narsingh Yadav"I believe that there is foul play involved in this entire episode," said Yadav. "Someone has sabotaged my food supplements and water intake. I take pride in the fact that I have competed in every competition, international and domestic, in an honest, fair and transparent manner and I will continue to do so. I am a responsible athlete with an understanding of the country's expectations and hopes on me. I would never dream of betraying that hope." The national anti-doping agency (NADA) revealed Sunday that both of Yadav's samples from an out-of-competition test came back positive. The 26-year-old wrestler has already attended a hearing to present his case before an anti-doping disciplinary panel. on Saturday. The disciplinary panel had asked NADA for further details and is expected to return with a verdict within one week. NADA Director General Navin Agarwal said by telephone. "Narsingh was surprised with the positive result," NADA Director General Navin told Reuters. "He kept on saying, 'why would I volunteer for a test if I knew I had taken something illegal?" Yadav earned the 74 kg slot for India at the Rio Olympics by winning a bronze medal at last year's World Championships in Las Vegas. However, Yadav's spot was put in jeopardy when Sushil Kumar, who won a bronze medal at 66 kg/145 lb. weight class at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a silver at the London Games four years later, went to court to be put on team India to wrestle in Rio. The court ruled against Kumar, clearing the way for Yadav to compete at next month's Olympics. Yadav has competed on the world stage for a number of years. Among his accomplishments: a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, and silver at the 2011 Melbourne Commonwealth Championships. Yadav qualified for the 2012 Olympics, but lost his opening-round bout to Stanford grad Matt Gentry (wrestling for Canada) and was knocked out of the tournament. Yadav is at least the second prospective Olympic wrestler to have been disqualified for failing a drug test. Earlier this month, the Australian Olympic Committee asked Wrestling Australia to withdraw Vinod Kumar -- a native of India -- as a member of the Greco-Roman wrestling squad for the 2016 Olympics over an alleged doping violation.