Host organizers have established a new block of discounted rooms for the participants attending USA Wrestling events this weekend, the U.S. Beach National Championships and U.S. Sombo National Championships, set for Palm Beach County, Fla., August 19-20.

The Crowne Plaza Oceanfront Hotel on Singer Island in Riviera Beach, Fla. will provide a special rate of only $89.00 a night for those involved in the USA Wrestling events.

Contact:
Crowne Plaza Oceanfront Hotel
3200 N. Ocean Dr.
Riviera Beach, FL
561-842-6171 (phone)

Wrestlers MUST ask for the USA Wrestling rate in order to access this outstanding discount rate.

The host hotel, Hilton Singer Island Oceanfront Resort, has sold out of rooms for the competition. The Crowne Plaza Oceanfront Hotel is matching the exceptionally low rate offered to the wrestling community.

The Crowne Plaza is a few hundred yards away from the Beach Wrestling competition, within easy walking distance of the host facility. This is the only other hotel within walking distance of the venue. It is also just five miles away from the venue for the U.S. Sombo National Championships.

An official website for the events has been created with more information on the tournaments, as well as Palm Beach County at:
http://www.palmbeachsports.com/Events/USA%20Wrestling/Untitled-2.html

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

These two events will serve as the qualifiers on the Senior level  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.

Weighins and registration for the U.S. Beach Nationals will be on Saturday, August 19 at 9:00 a.m. at the Hilton Singer Island Oceanfront Hotel, which will also host the tournament. Competition begins at 11:00 a.m. and will continue to conclusion. There will be wrestling on Sunday, August 20 if necessary due to weather.

At the U.S. Beach National Championships, 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.

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. Weighins are held Saturday night, August 19, at 7:00 p.m. at the host hotel.

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.