Chas Betts competes at the 2009 World Championships. Tony Rotundo photo.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Chas Betts first started thinking about wrestling in the Olympics during a trip to North Dakota.

Betts won a Junior Nationals Greco-Roman title in Fargo and his dream was launched.

Seven years later, that dream now appears within reach.

A 2009 U.S. World Team member at 84 kg/185 lbs, Betts has moved to the U.S. Olympic Training Center and is focused on earning a trip to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.

He is living in a dorm room at the OTC in Colorado Springs while his fiancée and family are back home in Minnesota.

“This is where I need to be right now,” Betts said. “This is the best place for me to train and the best place for me to focus. It was the right move.”

The move has paid off already for Betts, 24, who recently beat two top Russian wrestlers en route to finishing third at the Ivan Podubbny Grand Prix in Russia.

“Chas Betts has improved his skills a ton over the last year or so,” U.S. National Coach Steve Fraser said. “His bronze-medal performance at the Podubbny Tournament proves he is on the right track. His ‘in-your-face’ style of wrestling has been his biggest strength. With continued improvement in par terre and on his feet, Chas will no doubt be in a position to achieve his goals in Greco at the World level."

Betts landed a spot at the 2009 World Championships in Herning, Denmark. He lost his first match to Finland’s Antti Hakala.

“It was awesome to compete at the World Championships,” he said. “It was eye-opening and humbling. That was the first time where my nerves got to me. It can be a little overwhelming. It let me know where I am in the grand scheme of things. It was nice to make a World Team. When you go there and experience it, you know there is another step to take. Having that under my belt helps me a lot. Next time, I will be ready.”

Betts finished second behind Jake Clark at the 2010 U.S. World Team Trials.

“Obviously I was disappointed,” Betts said. “It allowed me to reevaluate and make some changes with my style. The biggest thing is my par terre defense. The coaches have been hammering on that with me and I have improved a lot in that area. My par terre offense needs to improve.”

Betts served as a training partner for Clark at the 2006 Worlds.

“Jake has the upper hand and I want to get it back,” Betts said. “I had beaten him before and he has beaten me. He’s a tough wrestler.”

Betts won three of four bouts in the Podubbny tournament, capturing the bronze medal with a 0-1, 1-0, 1-0 over Oleg Shokalov of Russia. Betts avenged a loss to Shokalov from November’s Karavaev Cup in Belarus.

“It was a good tournament for me against tough competition,” he said. “That was a big win against the Russian who had beaten me earlier this season. It lets you know you are headed in the right direction.”

Working with U.S. National Assistant Coach Momir Petkovic, an Olympic champion, also has paid off for Betts.

“Momir’s a great coach,” Betts said. “He’s really helped me with the mental aspect of the sport. I just have to believe it’s going to happen when I step on the mat. Momir’s helped me a lot.”

Betts is considered small for the 84 kilo weight class, but he’s still excelled in the division.

“I don’t really cut weight,” said Betts, who wrestles for the Minnesota Storm. “I think of it as an advantage because I feel good all the time. The weight is never on my mind. Practice is always about practice and not about losing weight.”

Betts came to Colorado Springs after wrestling at the successful U.S. Olympic Education Center program at Northern Michigan University.

Betts and close friend Andy Bisek, a top U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler, came to the Olympic Training Center this past July.

Betts was the best man at Bisek’s wedding. Betts will marry his fiancée, Kristi Oliver, on June 19. Bisek will be a groomsman with Betts’ brother serving as best man.

Betts and Bisek are often mistaken for being brothers.

“We’ve had that happen a lot,” Betts said with a laugh. “We wanted to train in the same place. It’s real important to have a guy like that to train with. He’s a good wrestler and he’s going through the same thing I am. He knows where I’m coming from.”

Betts is scheduled to compete at the upcoming Kiki Cup in Colorado Springs. He also will wrestle in the Dave Schultz Memorial International next month. He has overseas trips to Slovenia, Bulgaria and Hungary scheduled after that.

The immediate goal for Betts is to earn a trip to the 2011 World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, but the Olympics are never too far from his thoughts.

“Being an Olympian, that would be everything for me,” Betts said. “That’s what I’m working toward. That’s what I’m here to do.”