AKIN, KOLAT, WILLIAMS, BLACK WEIGH IN AND RECEIVE DRAW FOR 1999 WORLD FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN ANKARA, TURKEY, OCT. 7-10Four members of the 1999 U.S. Freestyle World Wrestling Team have weighed in and have received their draws for the 1999 World Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Ankara, Turkey, Oct. 8-11.
Eric Akin (Overland Park, Kan./Dave Schultz WC) will compete in a pool of four athletes at 119 pounds. His opponents include 1988 Olympic silver medalist Ivan Tzonov of Bulgaria, German Kontoev of Belarus, and Ludek Busian from the Czech Republic. (The names of some of the opponents were unavailable at press time). This will be Akin's first appearance at the World Championships.
"I feel really prepared," said Akin. "I am so prepared; preparation is the key. God willing, I've done everything on my part to seize the moment. I've prepared the best that I can.
Akin placed third in the 1999 Pan American Games. He was second in the 1996 Olympic Team Trials, and was also second in the 1998 World Team Trials. He was a bronze medalist at the 1999 Pan American Games. Akin was an NCAA runner-up for Iowa State Univ.
Cary Kolat (Madison, Wis./Dave Schultz WC) has two opponents in his pool at 138.75 pounds. His first match will be against Murad Umachanov of Russia, and his second will be with Giorgios Moustopoulos of Greece. Umachanov has moved up from 127.75 pounds, where he placed fourth and fifth at the last two World Championships.
"I'm not going to change anything from last year," said Kolat. "I lost a little focus in 1997, and improved a little in 1998. This year, I've stepped it up. I've improved in every area and I'm ready to push it through."
Kolat was a 1997 World silver medalist and 1998 World bronze medalist. He has won two World Cup gold medals, as well as the 1998 Goodwill Games and 1999 Pan American Games titles. He was a two-time NCAA champion for Lock Haven Univ.
Joe Williams (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC), competing at his first World Championships, will be in a pool of three athletes at 167.5 pounds. His opponents will be Kurginvan Abelnak of Armenia and Wengen Zhang of China.
"I'm here to win it; I'm here to dominate," said Williams.
Williams won a gold medal at the 1999 Pan American Games. He swept the 1999 U.S. Nationals and World Team Trials events. Williams was a three-time NCAA champion for the Univ. of Iowa.
Dominic Black (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) will wrestle in a pool of four athletes at 213.75 pounds. He has drawn Wilfredo Morales of Cuba, an athlete from Turkey and an athlete from Cameroon. Black is wrestling in his first World meet.
Black also won the U.S. Nationals and World Team Trials for the first time in 1999. He was a 1995 World Cup gold medalist and 1999 Pan American Games champion. He is a former All-American for West Virginia Univ.
The U.S. team is led by co-head coaches Dan Gable of Iowa City, Iowa, John Smith of Stillwater, Okla. and Greg Strobel of Bethlehem, Pa., as well as National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett of Colorado Springs, Colo.
"The team's preparation went well, and we came out of both camps healthy, and this is important to the team and the entire staff," said John Smith. "We are 100% healthy and that is really important."
The event serves as the first freestyle wrestling qualifier for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. The top eight place winners at the 1999 World Championships qualify their nation to participate in the 2000 Olympic Games in their weight division.
In total, 64 Olympic berths will be determined at the 1999 World Freestyle Championships in Ankara. It is important to remember that the athletes do not qualify themselves for the Games; rather, they are qualifying their nation to participate in that weight class.
The U.S. team participated in a domestic training camp in Colorado Springs, Colo. at the U.S. Olympic Complex, Sept. 10-24. The team travelled to Paris, France and trained at INCEP, the French Olympic Center, from Sept. 28-Oct. 3.
Four U.S. wrestlers will weigh in on Thursday, Oct. 7 and begin their competition on Friday, Oct. 8: Eric Guerrero (Stillwater, Okla./Sunkist Kids) at 127.75 pounds, Lincoln McIlravy (Iowa City, Iowa/Gateway WC) at 152 pounds,Les Gutches (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 187.25 pound and Stephen Neal (Bakersfield, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) at 286 pounds.
Iran is the defending World Champion, after winning the team title in 1998 in Tehran, Iran. Russia placed second in the 1998 World Championships, and the United States was third.
The last time that Turkey hosted the World Freestyle Wrestling Championships, in Istanbul in 1994, Turkey won the team title.
1999 WORLD FREESTYLE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS at Ankara, Turkey, Oct. 6
U.S. wrestlers pool competition opponents 119 lbs./54 kg - Eric Akin, Overland Park, Kan. - vs. Ludek Busian (Czech Rep.), vs. Ivan Ivanov Tzonov (Bulgaria); vs. German Kontoev (Belarus)
138.75 lbs./63 kg - Cary Kolat, Madison, Wis. - vs. Murad Umachanov (Russia); vs. Giorgios Moustopoulos (Greece)
167.5 lbs./76 kg - Joe Williams, Iowa City, Iowa - vs. Kurginvan Abelnak (Armenia); vs. Wengen Zhang (China)
213.75 lbs./97 kg - Dominic Black, Colorado Springs, Colo. - vs. name unavailable (Cameroon); vs. name unavailable (Turkey); vs. Wilfredo Morales (Cuba)
Athletes who will weigh in on Thursday, Oct. 7
127.75 lbs./58 kg - Eric Guerrero, Stillwater, Okla.
152 lbs./69 kg - Lincoln McIlravy, Iowa City, Iowa
187.25 lbs./85 kg - Les Gutches, Colorado Springs, Colo.
286 lbs./130 kg - Stephen Neal, Bakersfield, Calif.
U.S. team roster (Weight, name, hometown, college, high school, club)
119 lbs./54 kg - Eric Akin, Overland Park, Kan., Iowa State Univ., Bishop Miege HS (Kan.),Dave Schultz WC
127.75 lbs./58 kg - Eric Guerrero, Stillwater, Okla., Oklahoma State Univ., Independence HS (Calif.), Sunkist Kids
138.75 lbs./63 kg - Cary Kolat, Madison, Wis., Lock Haven Univ., Jefferson-Morgan HS (Pa.), Dave Schultz WC
152 lbs./69 kg - Lincoln McIlravy, Iowa City, Iowa, Univ. of Iowa, Philip HS (S.D.), Gateway WC
167.5 lbs./76 kg - Joe Williams, Iowa City, Iowa, Univ. of Iowa, Mt. Carmel HS (Ill.), Hawkeye WC
187.25 lbs./85 kg - Les Gutches, Colorado Springs, Colo., Oregon State Univ., S. Medford HS (Ore.), Sunkist Kids
213.75 lbs./97 kg - Dominic Black, Colorado Springs, Colo., West Virginia Univ., Henry Clay HS (Ky.), U.S. Army
286 lbs./130 kg - Stephen Neal, Bakersfield, Calif., Cal-State Bakersfield, San Diego HS (Calif), Dave Schultz WC