COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo – The United States will enter strong teams in all three Olympic styles at 2011 World Wrestling Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, Sept. 12-18.

This event is a major qualifying event for the 2012 London Olympic Games. The top six placewinners in each of the 18 Olympic weight classes will qualify their nation to compete at the Olympic Games in that weight class.

The U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers will compete in Istanbul, Turkey, September 12-14.

The U.S. Greco-Roman World Team features five athletes with previous World Championships or Olympic experience, including 2002 World champion and three-time World medalist Dremiel Byers at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., 2006 and 2007 World bronze medalist Justin Lester at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and 2005 World bronze medalist Justin Ruiz at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.

Others on the team include 2008 Olympian and three-time World Team member Spenser Mango at 55 kg/121 lbs., plus past World Team members Joe Betterman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) at 60 kg/132 lbs.

Also competing are first-time World Team members Andy Bisek at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Cheney Haight at 84 kg/185 lbs. Bisek is a replacement for Jake Fisher, who was injured in training this week and can not compete.

The U.S. women freestyle wrestlers will compete in Istanbul, Turkey, September 14-16.

The U.S. Women’s World Team features six athletes with previous World Championships or Olympics experience, including 2008 World champion Clarissa Chun at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. and 2010 World silver medalist Elena Pirozhkova at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.

Also on the team is 2008 Olympian and two-time World Team member Ali Bernard at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. Others with World Championships experience are Helen Maroulis at 55 kg/121 lbs., Kelsey Campbell at 59 kg/130 lbs. and Adeline Gray at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. Bernard won two Junior World titles, and Gray was also a Junior World champion.

2008 Junior World champion Whitney Conder will wrestle in her first Senior World Championships at 51 kg/112.25 lbs.

The U.S. men’s freestyle wrestlers will compete in Istanbul, Turkey, September 16-18.

The U.S. Men’s Freestyle World Team features three athletes with previous World Championships or Olympic experience, including 2004 Olympic champion and 2003 World silver medalist Cael Sanderson at 84 kg/185 lbs. and 2009 World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

2009 U.S. World Team member Jake Varner at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. will also compete.

The four first-time World Team members are Nick Simmons at 55 kg/121 lbs., Reece Humphrey at 60 kg/132 lbs., Teyon Ware at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Jordan Burroughs at 74 kg/163 lbs.

Complete coverage of the World Wrestling Championships will be provided by USA Wrestling on its official website, TheMat.com (www.TheMat.com). There will be live audio coverage of the event, as well as stories, features, results and more.

For additional information, contact the following USA Wrestling Communications staff who will be on hand in Istanbul:
Craig Sesker, csesker@usawrestling.org; 719-640-5815 cell
Gary Abbott, gabbott@usawrestling.org; 719-659-9637 cell

2011 U.S. WORLD WRESTLING TEAMS

Greco-Roman
55 kg/121 lbs. - Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Joe Betterman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Justin Lester, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Cheney Haight, Boise, Idaho (New York AC)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Justin Ruiz, Orem, Utah (New York AC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
National Coaches – Steve Fraser, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Momir Petkovic, Colorado Springs, Colo.
World Team Coaches – Dan Chandler, Minneapolis, Minn.; James Johnson, Phoenix, Ariz.
Team Leader – Dave Barry, Hoboken, N.J.
College programs: Northern Michigan (Mango, Betterman, Lester, Bisek, Haight), Iowa State (Lester), Nebraska (Ruiz), North Carolina A&T (Byers)

Women’s freestyle
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Whitney Conder, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Kelsey Campbell, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
63 kg/138.75 lbs.– Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Adeline Gray, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Gator WC)
National Coaches – Terry Steiner, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Izzy Izboinikov, Colorado Springs, Colo.
World Team Coaches – Kevin Black, River Falls, Wis.; Keith Wilson, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Team Leader – Kim Martori, Phoenix, Ariz.
Colleges: Missouri Valley (Chun); Northern Michigan (Conder); Simon Fraser (Maroulis); Missouri Baptist (Maroulis); Arizona State (Campbell); Univ. of Alberta (Bernard); Univ. of Regina (Bernard)

Men’s freestyle
55 kg/121 lbs. - Nick Simmons, Corvallis, Ore. (Sunkist Kids)
60 kg/132 lbs.- Reece Humphrey, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Teyon Ware, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Cael Sanderson, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)
National Coaches – Zeke Jones, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Brandon Slay, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Bill Zadick, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Bobby Douglas, Colorado Springs, Colo.
World Team Coaches – John Smith, Stillwater, Okla., Lou Rosselli, Columbus, Ohio; Casey Cunningham, State College, Pa.
Team Leader – Mike Novogratz, New York, N.Y.
College programs: Iowa State (Sanderson, Varner), Michigan State (Simmons), Ohio State (Humphrey), Oklahoma (Ware), Nebraska (Burroughs), Nebraska-Kearney (Dlagnev)

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
(with U.S. athletes date of competition)
Sessions are at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. each day, Istanbul time
Note: Istanbul is seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone.

Monday, September 12
Greco-Roman 55 kg, 66 kg, 96 kg (Mango, Lester, Ruiz)

Tuesday, September 13
Greco-Roman 60 kg, 84 kg, 120 kg (Betterman, Haight, Byers)

Wednesday, September 14
Greco-Roman 74 kg (Fisher); Women’s freestyle 48 kg, 51 kg (Chun, Conder)

Thursday, September 15
Women’s freestyle 55 kg, 59 kg, 63 kg (Maroulis, Campbell, Pirozhkova)

Friday, September 16
Women’s freestyle 67 kg, 72 kg (Gray, Bernard); Men’s freestyle 55 kg (Simmons)

Saturday, September 17
Men’s freestyle: 60 kg, 84 kg, 96 kg (Humphrey, Sanderson, Varner)

Sunday, September 18
Men’s freestyle: 66 kg, 74 kg, 120 kg (Ware, Burroughs, Dlagnev)