Wrestling's most important event set for the RCA Dome in Indianapolis May 21-23 as 2004 U.S. Olympic

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Jeff Weitekamp (Indiana Sports Corp)
07/09/2003


USA Wrestling and Indiana Sports Corporation announced today that the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wrestling, which will take place at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, have been moved from May 20-22, 2004, (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) to May 21-23, 2004 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday).    The move was made to stage the event on one weekday and two weekend days to better accommodate athletes, coaches, officials and fans that will be traveling to Indianapolis for the event.     The U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wrestling is the nation's most important and meaningful wrestling event. The RCA Dome - home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, the 1991, 1997, 2000, 2006 and 2010 NCAA Men's Final Four, 2005 NCAA Women's Final Four and the 1991 World Gymnastics Championships - will become the first NFL domed stadium to ever host a U.S. wrestling event. Like the recent 2003 USA Wrestling World Team Trials, USA Wrestling and Indiana Sports Corporation (ISC) are organizing the event.      "No event has more pressure in our sport than the Olympic Trials," said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling's executive director. "We cannot wait to bring our most coveted event to Indianapolis at a time when it is most known for its sports."     Those fans that bought Gold-Medal Level tickets for the 2003 USA Wrestling World Team Trials may reserve their seats now by contacting Indiana Sports Corporation at 1-800-HI-FIVES. Tickets will go on sale to the general public through Ticketmaster in November. For the latest news and event information visit  www.indianasportscorp.com and www.themat.com.    The city is no stranger to Olympic Trials events. Indianapolis - known as one of the world's leading amateur sports capitals - has hosted 14 U.S. Olympic Trials, including diving, rowing, swimming, synchronized swimming and track & field. The most recent Olympic Trials event that took place in the city was the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Swimming. The event was a sellout with more than 63,000 tickets sold six months prior to the competition - the earliest sellout of a swimming event in the U.S.      "We have a 25-year tradition of allowing the best amateur athletes perform at their best," said Earl Goode, chairman of the board of directors for ISC. "We are honored that USA Wrestling has entrusted us with their greatest event, and look forward to showing the wrestling community Hoosier Hospitality and tremendous support for their athletes."      "In May 2004, some of the greatest athletes in America will be here competing for the opportunity to wrestle on the team that will take on the world in Greece, the birthplace of the Olympics and of their sport." said Thomas Major, co-chair of the Local Organizing Committee "There's an extra charge in the air already, and we couldn't be more excited."      The competition format for the Olympic Trials will be similar to last month's World Team Trials. The men's and women's freestyle and men's Greco-Roman will be staged together and include a two-day challenge tournament and a championship finals series. The challenge tournament in all three styles will take place Friday, May 21 and Saturday, May 22. This will include all of the competitors, except for the 2004 national champions who will automatically be in the finals. The 2004 national championships will be in Las Vegas April 7-10.     Sunday, May 23, will be the championship finals in each weight class, featuring the national champion facing the challenge tournament winner in a best-of-three series.     There will be seven weight classes in Greco-Roman and men's freestyle. Also, women's freestyle wrestling will be contested at the Olympic Games for the first time in four weight classes - 48 kg./105.5 lbs., 55 kg./121 lbs., 63 kg./138.5 lbs. and 72 kg./158.5 kg. Only the champions in each weight class will be on the U.S. Olympic Team and compete at the Olympic Games August 22-29, 2004, in Athens, Greece.      Superstars such as Rulon Gardner, Dremiel Byers, Joe Williams, Cael Sanderson, Brandon Paulson and others are sure to complete. Tina George, Patricia Miranda, Sara McMann and Toccara Montgomery could be the first women wrestlers to earn their spot on the Olympic Team at the RCA Dome.      "History is always made at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, but with women's freestyle being added to the Olympic Games, this event will have even more historical significance," said Bender. "That coupled with our recent success at World Championships and the Olympic Games in Greco-Roman and freestyle, we are looking forward to the event with great anticipation."