“Joe Betterman has all the potential in the World to win at the international level.” - Steve Fraser, U.S. coach
Betterman on a mission
By Craig Sesker TEMPE, Ariz. – The phone call came
just over a month before the 2007 World Championships. Joe Betterman was asked to represent
the U.S. at the 2007 Worlds in Baku, Azerbaijan. It was an experience he will never for-
get. A late replacement at 60 kg/132 lbs. on
the U.S. Greco-Roman Team, Betterman dropped his first match at the Worlds. He was part of the U.S. squad which won its only World Team title. “It was kind of a shock when I got a
call and they said, ‘Hey, we need you to wrestle in the Worlds,’” Betterman said after winning the Sunkist Kids International Open title in October. “I gained a lot of experience being on my first World Team, even though I only wrestled one match. Being a member of the team that won the World title, I learned a lot by watching those guys wrestle and how they approached it. I’ve been at every international competition I can since then. I am trying to gain as much experience as I can.” Betterman won the 2008 U.S. Olympic
Team Trials in Las Vegas, but was unable to compete in Beijing, China after the U.S. fell short of qualifying for the Olympics in his division. “It was heartbreaking – it was horrible,” Betterman said. “I was there in Beijing as a training partner, and not being able to compete has given me the drive to never feel that way again.” The top six finishers in each weight
class at the 2011 World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, qualify their countries for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. There are three other Olympic qualifiers for the U.S., including a Pan American event in Orlando. “I’m super motivated for this season,” Betterman said. “The World Championships in 2011 is a huge event for us. We have to qualify the weight class for the Olympics. I know that better than anybody. I know I am capable of
30 USA Wrestler
Joe Betterman wins the 2008 Olympic Team Trials. Larry Slater photo.
qualifying the weight, and I know I am capable of winning a medal at the Olympics.” Betterman lost to Jeremiah Davis in the
2009 World Team Trials before coming back strong last season. Betterman was off to a great start last season. He won titles at the Sunkist and New York AC tournaments. He placed second in the Podubbny Grand Prix in Russia, but injured his knee in that event. He underwent knee surgery and then
came back for the 2010 U.S. World Team Trials. He placed third despite not being 100 percent physically. He lost to Davis again at the Trials. “I feel like this is just a test,” he said.
“God is testing me to see how I react to this. I am working hard and pushing myself, and I think I am going to reap the benefits in the end. I had been having a great season before I blew my knee out.” U.S. National Coach Steve Fraser said
Betterman is back on track now. “Joe Betterman was wrestling at his
best ever last January right before he hurt his knee,” Fraser said. “He has worked very hard at rehab since his sur- gery. He has all the potential in the World to win at the international level. Joe’s intensity and explosion is one of his best attributes. With continued refinement Joe will reach his goals in Greco, no doubt about it.” The 26-year-old Betterman has become more physical on the mat. “I have been pumping iron and spend-
ing a lot of time lifting weights,” he said. “I’ve gotten a lot stronger. My weight is under control and I feel great.” Betterman has never backed away
from setting high goals. “My ultimate goal is to win two Olympic
gold medals,” he said. “I know I can wrestle with anybody in the World. I know I can beat the best guys in the World.”
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