The Executive Committee of USA Wrestling, the national governing body of amateur wrestling in the United States, approved plans to send a U.S. Senior-level freestyle wrestling team to Iran for a competition in February. It is believed to be the first U.S. team in any sport to compete in Iran in almost 20 years. 
 The 13-member Executive Committee serves acts on behalf of USA Wrestling's Board of Directors between the semi-annual Board of Directors meetings. The trip was approved on a conference call on Monday evening, January 19. 
 The U.S. team, featuring a number of Olympic-caliber athletes, will wrestle in the Takhti Cup in Teheran, Iran, Feb. 19-21. The Takhti Cup is recognized as a Grand Prix event by FILA, the international wrestling federation, and will feature a number of top international wrestling nations. 
 "I think there were some reasonable concerns expressed by our Executive Committee," said Larry Sciacchetano, president of USA Wrestling. "There has not been a U.S. team competing in Iran since 1979. On the whole, we are very excited about the opportunity to compete in Iran, one of the strongest wrestling nations in the world. We know Iranian wrestling fans are knowledgeable, and we look forward to competing there. It should be a great experience for the athletes that will go on the tour - a great challenge and test. We have an experienced group of athletes, and we expect that they will do well. Our objective is to bring back some gold medals. If there is a cultural benefit from the trip, that's positive. But we are going to compete; that is our main objective." 
 A delegation of five athletes and five team officials will participate on the tour to Iran, which is tentatively scheduled from Feb. 14-22. 
 The team will be led by 1992 Olympic champion Kevin Jackson (Gilbert, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 85 kg/187.25 lbs. Jackson is also a two-time World Champion, claiming gold medals in 1991 and 1995. 
 1992 Olympic silver medalist Zeke Jones (Chandler, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) will compete at 54 kg/119 lbs. Jones was a World Champion in 1991, and was a 1995 World bronze medalist. 
 1993 World Champion Melvin Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) will compete at 97 kg/213.75 lbs. Douglas has won four career World medals, and was seventh in the 1996 Olympic Games. 
 The other two athletes are Shawn Charles (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sunkist Kids) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and John Giura (New York, N.Y./Dave Schultz WC) at 69 kg/152 lbs. Charles, a young talent, has won a number of international tournaments in recent years. Giura, a veteran, was seventh in the 1989 World Championships and is a two-time World Cup champion. 
 Coaching the U.S. team will be 1996 U.S. Olympic head coach Joe Seay (Perry, Okla./Sunkist Kids). Seay led the U.S. freestyle team to five medals in the 1996 Olympics, the most of any nation. He also coached the U.S. to World team titles at the 1993 and 1995 Freestyle World Championships. 
 Sciacchetano, who is also a member of the FILA Bureau, the international governing council, will attend the tour. Mitch Hull, USA Wrestling's National Teams Director, will also attend. 
 The referee on the tour will be Jim McCord of Alden, Iowa. The medical officer on the tour will be Dr. Bruce Reider of Hinsdale, Ill. 
 USA Wrestling annually sends a number of Senior-level teams on Winter Developmental Tours. These trips provide top U.S. wrestlers an opportunity to test themselves against many of the best wrestlers in the world, and provide valuable international experience. Other U.S. freestyle teams will compete in Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and Cuba this winter. 
  U.S. Freestyle Tour Team to Iran, Feb. 14-22 
 54 kg/119 lbs. - Zeke Jones, Chandler, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 31 years old - 1992 Olympic silver medalist, 1991 World Champion, 1995 World bronze medalist, Four-time World Cup champion, 1995 Pan American Games champion, 1994 Goodwill Games champion, 1990 NCAA runner-up for Arizona State Univ. 
 63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Shawn Charles, Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (Sunkist Kids), 27 years old - 1997 Yasar Dogu Tournament champion in Turkey, 1993 and 1996 Sunkist Kids International Open champion, 1995 Dan Kolov Tournament champion in Bulgaria, 1995 Slovakia Grand Prix champion, 1992-93 NCAA runner-up for Arizona State Univ. 
 69 kg/152 lbs. - John Giura, New York, N.Y. (Dave Schultz WC), 34 years old - Seventh in 1989 World Championships, 1990 and 1991 World Cup champion, 1986 Pan American Championships champion, 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials runnerup, Four-time Henri Deglane Challenge champion in France, Third in 1984 NCAA Championships for the Univ. of Wisconsin. 
 85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Kevin Jackson, Gilbert, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 33 years old - 1992 Olympic Champion, 1991 and 1995 World Champion, Three-time World Cup champion, Two-time Pan American Games champion, Third in the 1994 Goodwill Games, Fourth in 1993 World Championships, 1987 NCAA runner-up for Iowa State Univ. 
 97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Melvin Douglas, Mesa, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 34 years old - 1993 World Champion, 1989 World silver medalist, 1994 and 1995 World bronze medalist, Seventh in 1996 Olympic Games, 1995 Pan American Games Champion, 1994 World Cup champion, 1985-86 NCAA champion for the Univ. of Oklahoma 
  Coach - Joe Seay, Perry, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) - 1996 U.S. Olympic team head coach, Head coach of 1993 and 1995 World Champion teams, 1990 Goodwill Games head coach, 1986 and 1991 World Cup head coach, led Oklahoma State to two NCAA Div. I titles and Cal-State Bakersfield to seven NCAA Div. II titles. 
 Larry Sciacchetano, Baton Rouge, La., USA Wrestling President 
 Mitch Hull, Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Wrestling Director of National Teams 
 Jim McCord, Alden, Iowa, Referee 
 Dr. Bruce Reider, Hinsdale, Ill., Medical Officer