Miranda, Atlanta ready to kick off 2004 Titan Games Built by Home Depot

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John Fuller (USA Wrestling)
06/17/2004


Atlanta, Ga. - Many of the 2004 U.S. Olympians will compete in the 2004 Titan Games, Built by Home Depot, in Atlanta, Ga., June 18-20, and those athletes are all excited for the opportunity.    "It's a really neat venue to watch other sports and other athletes. That's not something we get to do a lot of," stated women's freestyle wrestler Patricia Miranda at the Titan Games press conference on Thursday afternoon.    Wrestling will again be one of the featured sports at the Titan Games, along with boxing, fencing, weightlifting, judo, taekwondo and shot put. Philips Arena is serving as the competition venue and Centennial Olympic Park is serving as the backdrop for the shot put.    This event will also serve as the last opportunity for many Americans to view some of these athletes in live competition before the Olympic Games.    "I am very excited that women's wrestling will be viewed by another audience here in Atlanta They will have a chance to see the triumph and tragedy that is sport," Miranda added.    The Titan Games marks the first time that a major Olympic sporting event has visited this city since the 1996 Olympic Games.    That fact alone figures to bring excitement to the Atlanta community.    "We have a great tradition," stated President of the Atlanta Sports Council Gary Stokan. "We're an Olympic city. There are only three summer Olympic cities in the U.S., so we are very excited to be able to renew our relationship with the U.S. Olympic Committee."    Other athletes present at the press conference were Miranda's teammate, Tela O'Donnell, shot put Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson, a native of Atlanta, shot put Olympian John Godina and boxing Olympian Andre Ward    "I haven't competed here since 1996 in the Olympic Trials, and I didn't have a great performance then, so this is kind of a second chance at having a good showing in my hometown," Nelson said.    His teammate, Godina, added more flare to his excitement of competing in the Titan Games.    "The Titan Games is an orgy of fun and frenzy," Godina said, bringing the media to a flurry of laughter.    Wrestling, boxing, judo, taekwondo, fencing will be contested on Saturday, June 19 and Sunday, June 20. Shot put will be contested on Friday, June 18 and weightlifting will be contested on June 20.    The Titan Games will feature a "USA versus the World" format in dual and triangular meets. In men's freestyle and men's Greco-Roman, the teams competing against the United States will be the Republic of Georgia and Spain. In women's freestyle, the opponents will be Canada and China.    Last year, the Republic of Georgia won the team title at the Greco-Roman World Championships.    Individual session tickets are available through Ticketmaster.