Goodwill Games General QuotesWRESTLING PRESS CONFERENCE
John Smith, Head Coach USA Wrestling
ON PARTICIPATING IN THE GOODWILL GAMES
"Obviously this is a big event for these athletes. It's one of the three major events that you look at as an athlete, and you'd like to perform at your best - the Olympics being one, the World Championships and the Goodwill Games have been coming around only once every four years. It puts a little more importance on it. Not only as a team, but also individually, these guys are going to be looking to try to win a gold, silver or bronze medal."
"The teams that are here are very legitimate teams. They're very tough. Year in and year out they perform well at the World Championships as well as the Olympics."
"I think we'll look at Russia as probably being our top competitor. You can't overlook Iran, nor can you overlook Turkey, but with the team that Russia's brought, I think it will be a real battle in that particular dual meet (Russia vs. USA)."
"This is a preparation for our World Championships in September, but at the same time, it's also important individually as well as a team that we perfrom well. I think that the team that we've assembled here is young, but at the same time, the majority of them are very hungry and very eager for this competition, as well as the World Championships."
ON THE "MYSTIQUE" OF IRAN
"With Iran being more involved with travelling to the U.S. has made a big difference in their competition. I think they've become a better team because of their travels. Iran back in the '50s and '60s was a world power. They were one of the best teams in the world."
"It's just over the last few years they've re-entered into one of the top competitors, as a team, in the world. They've made a lot of adjustments over there to become one of the better teams in the world. As I look at Iran, I see a team that will be a force for the next Olympic year. There's no question that they're really putting a lot of emphasis on their performances now. I think theyre're putting a lot of emphasis being a world power again in the sport of wrestling."
ON THE YOUTH/RELATIVE LACK OF EXPERIENCE OF THE TEAM
"This team that is participating in this event, as well as the World Championships, has beaten our world champions and Olympic champions. This team was assembled by these athletes performing at the national championships as well as the trials. That alone ought to give them enough confidence that will make up for the lack of experience they have. Just watching the workouts over the last four or five days, I see a very motivated team, as well as individuals on this team that are very motivated and very hungry for their opportunity. This is their time, and this is their opportunity. Don't forget, we have had several world champions and Olympic champions that did not make this team. There are individuals on this team that are really making a name (for themselves) and stepping up right now."
Les Gutches, member, USA Wrestling team (85kg/187.25 lbs)
ON PARTICIPATING IN THE GOODWILL GAMES
"The Goodwill Games for me, as John (Smith) said, is important. It comes along (just) every four years, and four of the toughest coutnries in wrestling are going to be here. I'm really using this as part of my training, to get three really good matches, and build some confidence for the World Championship. I think performing well here, and getting some matches under my belt, and getting use to the competition is going to help me."
"I remember watching (USA coach) John Smith in 1986 win the Goodwill Games. that definitely puts an emphasis on the competition for me. Here I've seen a lot of my heroes growing up wrestling in it (the Goodwill Games), so obviously that make it important for me."
ON THE COMPETITION IN THE 85KG/187.25lbs WEIGHT CLASS
"There's a pretty good chance the world champ (in his weight class) will come out of this pool,. There's definitely some great competition here, and it's very tough in my weight."
CONCERN ABOUT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN TEHERAN?
"We went to the Soviet Union last year, Siberia, for the World Championships last year, and that was a pretty foreign place to me. I'm sure Teheran is going to be much the same, or maybe more so. We had a team go over in February or March, and all the guys pretty much assured me that we were safe there, and that they treat wrestling with a lot of respect "
"We've been assured that we're going to be safe, and will be treated well, and that's really all you can ask. I come from Corvallis, Oregon, where you barely see a taxi cab, so this (New York) is a pretty foreign environment to me also. You have to look straight up to see the sky, and I haven't seen any trout streams."
ON PRESSURE IN THE IRAN - USA DUAL MATCH
"The pressure is definitely going to be on them (Iran) to perform. I've wrestled in a lot pressure situations. I'm ready for it, the better the adversity, the better you feel after the win. I'm looking forward to the challenge."
Kerry McCoy, member, USA Wrestling Team (Heavyweight)
ON PARTICIPATING IN THE GOODWILL GAMES
"I'm definitely very excited, one, just to be in the Goodwill Games, one of the top three honors in wrestling and all sports in general, and two, to be home, in my home state. Wrestling at Penn State, I didn't get to come back to New York very often to compete. It's a great opportunity to be back here where a lot of my friends and family can come to watch me. Throughout my career, not too many people got the chance to make the travels to some of the places we got to compete."
"This is a great way to get some exposure on the international scene at this level. it's my first major international competition. Also, it's a great warmup or tuneup for the World Championhips. Everything that I do in these next few years is focusing on the Sydney Olympics (in 2000). Everyday it's a step closer to Sydney."
CONCERN ABOUT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN TEHERAN?
"Once we found out that the Goodwill Games were in Iran, I was a little bit concerned. I keep up on current events as much as I can, and just always hearing about the conflicts between Iran and Iraq, and things over there in the Middle East, it's always something that you keep your eyes open, wondering if this is going to stop the progression for our world championship or is this going to stop us going over there. When we sent our team over there earlier this year, I think that really made it evident that we would make a smooth transition, and have a good time over there. All the guys came back and said it was real positive experience. They've all been talking about 'we can't wait to go back.' I think that was the biggest thing. If those guys didn't go over, I think I'd still be a little bit apprehensive. But with that one trip over there, and the Iranians coming over here, the tensions have been lessened."
EVALUATE THE COMPETITION IN YOUR WEIGHT CLASS
"I'm prepared to wrestle with the best wrestlers in the world. Over the last few months and years, I've been competing against some of the best wrestlers in the world, so I'm prepared. Our coach has done a great job of helping us to know what to look for, and what things to stay away from. The bottom line is, when I feel I'm at my best, I'm really tough to beat. I'll go out there and not take anyone lightly, and just go out there and wrestle 100 percent every time. There's a lot of experience in those foreign teams. I'm just ready to go out there and wrestle my best, and hopefully (good) things will happen."
ON WORKING WITH BRUCE BAUMGARTNER (2-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST) IN THE 1996 OLYMPICS
"When he asked me to be a training partner, it wasn't even a question of whether or not not I wanted to do it. It was just such an honor for me. He could have chosen anyone in the world, and he chose me. Just to be down there, to be a part of it, and to be that close. we got to know each other pretty well, and I got to know the things he was doing well, and the things he needed to work on. Just to be able to si