The United States will send a team of 18 wrestlers to compete in the Veterans World Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, August 3-5.

This is the annual World Championships for athletes 35-years-old and above. Competition will be held in five age divisions.

Among the athletes on the U.S. team are past Veterans World Freestyle champions Shirzah Ahmadi of Coventry, Conn. (Div. E/63 kg) and Donald Apodaca of Huntington Beach, Calif. (Div. E/97 kg). A past Veterans World Greco-Roman champion who will compete on the freestyle team this year is Ronald Hughes of Hollister, Calif. (Div. B/69 kg).

The U.S. team will feature eight athletes who won USA Wrestling Veterans Freestyle national titles in 2007, Ahmadi, plus John Short of Ogema. Minn. (Div. A/69 kg), Ben McCrillis of Westbrook, Maine (Div A/85 kg), Brad Swartz of Auburn, Wash. (Div. C/76 kg), Jim Phils of Stanford, Calif. (Div. C/130 kg), Steve Barkman of Bloomsbury, N.J. (Div. D/63 kg), Roye Oliver of Oceanside, Calif. (Div. D/85 kg) and James Lucas of Santa Cruz, Calif. (Div. E/69 kg). 

The competition in Divisions B and E will be held on Friday, August 3. The tournament will feature competition in Divisions C and D on Saturday, August 4. The final day, Sunday, August 5, will feature competition in Div. A.

Updates on the event may be available on the Turkish Wrestling Federation website at
http://www.tgf.gov.tr/

2007 U.S. Veterans World Freestyle Wrestlers

Div. A
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Robert Jackson, Weaverville, N.C. 
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Kalhor Fadaiekalhor, Tarzana, Calif. 
69 kg/152 lbs. - John Short, Ogema. Minn.
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Ben McCrillis, Westbrook, Maine

Div. B
69 kg/152 lbs. - Ronald Hughes, Hollister, Calif. 

Div. C
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Brad Swartz, Auburn, Wash.
130 kg/286 lbs. - Jim Phils, Stanford, Calif.

Div. D
63 kg/138.75 lbs - Steve Barkman, Bloomsbury, N.J.
69 kg/152 lbs. - Craig Johnson, Broomfield, Colo.
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Mark Black, Santa Monica, Calif. 
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Roye Oliver, Oceanside, Calif. 
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Steve Shapiro, Santa Monica, Calif. 

Div. E
63 kg/138.75 lbs - Shirzad Ahmadi, Coventry, Conn. 
69 kg/152 lbs. - James Lucas, Santa Cruz, Calif. 
69 kg/152 lbs. - James Butcher, Richmond, Va. 
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Kenneth Peters, Elmhurst, Ill.
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Ron Cole, Auburn, Wash. 
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Donald Apodaca, Huntington Beach, Calif.