USA Wrestling has completed the event flier for the U.S. Beach National Championships and the U.S. Sombo National Championships in Florida, August 19-20

These two events will serve as the qualifiers for the U.S. teams that will compete at the World Beach Wrestling Championships and the World Sombo Championships, set for Antalya, Turkey, Oct. 27-29.

There will also be age-group competitions provided in both tournaments.

Athletes and coaches who need information on the events can download a PDF file for details on two national competitions.

http://www.themat.com/eventfliers/2006/06BCSBNat.pdf

USA Wrestling will host its first U.S. Beach Wrestling National Championships at the Hilton Singer Island Oceanfront Resort in Singer Island, Fla., Saturday, August 19-20.

The registration and weigh-in for the U.S. Beach Wrestling Nationals will be held on Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m., with competition to begin at 11:00 a.m. and will run until 6:00 p.m. If the tournament is not completed on Saturday, the competition will resume on Sunday morning at  9:00 a.m.

Competition will be held in five age divisions: Schoolboy (Born 1992-93), Cadet (Born 1990-91), Elite (Born 1988-89), Open (Born 1998 or before) and Veterans (Born 1996 or before). Weight classes will be determined after weighins.

Beach Wrestling was added as a new style of international wrestling, starting in 2005. Athletes compete on sand, in a style that features takedowns within a ring. Although there have been a number of beach wrestling events held in the USA, this will be the first official U.S. National Championships in the new sport.

USA Wrestling will also host the U.S. National Sombo Championships in Palm Beach County August 19-20, at the North Palm Beach Community Center in North Palm Beach, Fla.

Registration and weigh-ins for the U.S. Sombo Nationals will be at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday night, August 19. at the official hotel, the Hilton Singer Island Oceanfront Hotel. 

The U.S. Sombo Nationals will begin on Sunday morning, August 20 at 9:30 a.m. at the North Palm Beach Community Center and will continue until conclusion.

There are two age divisions in the tournament: High School (Born 1988-91) and Open (1988 or before). The weight classes will be the seven international divisions on the Senior level: 55 kg/121 lbs., 60 kg/132 lbs., 66 kg/145.5 lbs., 74 kg/163 lbs., 84 kg/185 lbs., 96 kg/211.5 lbs., 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Sombo is a style of jacket wrestling with submission holds originally developed in the former Soviet Union as a form of unarmed self-defense. It has similarities to judo and wrestling, and has been reinstated as an international style of wrestling this year. Sombo was included in international wrestling until the mid-1980s, when the international wrestling federation no longer recognized the sport. 

USA Wrestling will also conduct its semi-annual Board of Directors meeting at the Hilton Singer Island Waterfront Resort. These are the volunteer leaders that set the direction for USA Wrestling and represent all aspects of the wrestling community.

USA Wrestling will also conduct its annual State Leaders Conference at the Hilton Singer Island Waterfront Resort. This annual meeting brings together volunteer leaders from each of the USA Wrestling state associations. 

About the Palm Beach County Sports Commission

The Palm Beach County Sports Commission is a private, non-profit organization contracted by the County to promote and bring sporting events and activities to the area. Goals of the PBCSC are to enhance the economic impact of Palm Beach County, maximize utilization of facilities and stimulate bed tax revenues, primarily in the off-season.

About the Palm Beach County CODP

The Palm Beach County Community Olympic Development Program (CODP) is a community outreach collaboration between the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), national governing bodies and the Palm Beach County Sports Institute in which young athletes are introduced to Olympic sports through community-based initiatives. Through this collaboration, motivated and talented athletes receive high quality training, coaching and competitive opportunities they otherwise would not receive. The Palm Beach County CODP Wrestling Manager is Shawn Sheldon, who came to the Palm Beach County CODP from the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he helped coach the U.S. National Team. He is a two time Olympian and World Silver Medalist, with nine U.S. National Championships under his belt in the sport of wrestling. Shawn was recently named 2005 Greco-Roman Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling