Shawn Bunch (left) battles Mike Zadick at the 2010 U.S. World Team Trials. Larry Slater photo.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Shawn Bunch wasn’t in Moscow, Russia for the 2010 World Championships.

Bunch didn’t make the trip after finishing second to past World silver medalist Mike Zadick at the U.S. World Team Trials.

But Bunch, a 2009 U.S. World Team freestyle member at 60 kg/132 lbs., was paying close attention to what happened.

“We had a lot of guys on the American team who I thought could do real well at the World Championships,” he said. “It was frustrating to see the U.S. team struggle because I knew how hard everyone had worked. It was hard to watch, because I felt like I could have won a medal.”

The U.S. team fell short of winning a freestyle medal at the 2010 Worlds.

The 27-year-old Bunch plans to help alter the U.S. freestyle fortunes this season. He’s off to a strong start, winning the Hargobind International this past weekend in Canada.

In order to make his second World Team in 2011, Bunch will have to win a strong U.S. weight class at 60 kilos. The weight class is led by the top-ranked Zadick, who wrestled well last season. Zadick has represented the U.S. at three of the past four World Championships, in addition to wrestling in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Bunch beat Zadick in the finals of the 2010 U.S. Open before the tough, hard-nosed Zadick came back to beat Bunch in the final-round series at the World Team Trials.

“I know I need to keep my focus, and I think I lost my focus in those matches with Zadick at the Trials,” he said. “Zadick’s a real physical wrestler, and he took me out of my game. He’s going to wrestle hard the whole time and you have to be ready to match that. The matches were real heated, and all of the coaches were screaming at each other. I just have to keep wrestling and not get distracted out there.”

Bunch is slated to compete against a team from Russia in a dual meet on Nov. 19 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

“It’s a big match for me, and it’s a big dual for the U.S. team,” he said. “It’s going to be fun. Hopefully, we can get a big crowd for the dual. We need to go out and win that dual, and send a message that we’re coming back strong this season.”

This season will have additional importance with the 2011 World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey serving as a qualifier for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. The top six finishers in each weight at the 2011 Worlds qualify their countries for the Olympics.

Three additional Olympic qualifiers will be held after the Worlds, including one in Orlando, Florida in March 2012.

“This is a real big season for everyone,” Bunch said. “We need to qualify the weight classes for the Olympics and win some medals at the Worlds. We need to build that momentum going into 2012.”

Bunch already has wrestled close to 10 matches this season.

“I am trying to get more matches this year,” he said. “I’ve already been overseas competing. I need to win some international matches and get some good momentum going.”

Bunch did just that by winning the Hargobind event.

“It feels good to win a tournament again,” he said. “It helps build my confidence.”

Bunch said he is looking forward to competing in the Ivan Yarygin event in late January in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. It’s traditionally one of the toughest tournaments in the World.

“That’s a big tournament, and I’m really preparing for it,” he said. “I want to win that tournament and show people that I’m ready to win a World medal this season.”

Bunch earned a big win in July when he knocked off Azerbaijan’s Zelimkhan Huseynov 3-0, 0-8, 4-1 in a dual meet in Baku, Azerbaijan. Huseynov won a World silver medal in 2009 and placed third at the 2010 Worlds.

“I know I am right there with the best guys in the World,” Bunch said. “I just need to be consistent and put it all together. I know I can be a World champion. I’m motivated to get back on the World Team.”

Bunch is back in Colorado Springs this week taking part in a National Team Camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. He is a past resident-athlete at the OTC.

“Shawn Bunch has beaten some of the best wrestlers in the World and certainly has the skills to win,” U.S. National Coach Zeke Jones said. “I really like him, and I like his odds of winning for us. He loves to compete against the best in the World, and wants to show everyone he’s the best. He loves putting it on the line.”

Jones said if Bunch is on his game he will be difficult to beat.

“Shawn’s going to have to tighten down his focus and minimize distractions,” Jones said. “There are so many things that can get in the way of a champion’s success, and centering on wrestling with 20 months until the Olympics is going to be key for him. Because of Shawn’s success, he has many opportunities to do things off the wrestling mat like mixed martial arts. If he’s going to win the Olympics, he’s going to have to put that on hold. I mean really put it on hold.

“The guys who are winning World and Olympic titles are full-time professionals, since they don’t have much else in their lives to focus on but wrestling. The good thing for Shawn is he’s always been a professional wrestler, and the guys like that are winning all of the medals.”

Bunch continues to train in freestyle full-time at the Ohio Regional Training Center in Columbus, Ohio.

“We are going to bounce back in Turkey. We will have better results individually and as a team at the next World Championships,” said Bunch, who competes for the Gator Wrestling Club. “Everyone has put in the work. We are trying to get more matches and training in overseas. I think it will make a big difference for us.”

Bunch also has his sights set on a trip to London for the Olympics. He placed second behind Zadick in the 2008 Olympic Trials.

“Wrestling in the Olympics, that would mean everything to me,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been striving for my whole life. I was so close in 2008. To make it in 2012, it would be amazing. I’m so close. I really want to make that Olympic Team. That would be a dream come true for me.”