JAMILL KELLY, Continued from page 36
World Team. He earned the right to compete at the 2003 World Championships at Madison Square Garden in New York City. “We had a lot of excitement with the team. We had some of the all-time greats on that team. It was the first time since 1995 we got to wrestle at the Worlds on U.S. soil,” said Kelly. “I was pretty confident in my chances. I got injured three days before the tournament and let it get to me mentally. Being teched by the Cuban in Madison Square Garden was one of the lowest points of my career. I tried to learn from it.” He gained confidence during a tour to Russia in February 2004, when he lost a close bout to a young Russian star, Makhach Murtazaliev, who won the event. Murtazaliev went on a tear, winning the European title and making the Russian Olympic Team. Kelly knew a small technical mistake cost him the bout with the Russian, and that he was capable of winning. He proved that his 2003 year was no fluke, beating his American rivals at the U.S. Open and the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Few people predicted great things from Kelly at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, but that’s not how Jamill felt. “I did a really good job staying calm,” said Kelly. “I enjoyed my Olympic experience. I went to other events. I didn’t let being at the Olympics get a hold of me. Coaches John Smith and Kevin Jackson did a good job getting me ready and keeping me focused. That is how I needed to be.”
Kelly won his first two matches at the Olympics in overtime, stopping Ruslan Bodisteanu of Moldova and Elman Asgarov of Azerbaijan. In the semifinals, he drew the Russian favorite Makhach Murtazaliev. At the time, the rules required a wrestler to score three points to win the bout. In overtime, with the score tied 1-1, the wrestlers went into a scramble, and both athletes were given two points. After a review, the call was just two points for Kelly, giving him a 3-1 win and putting him into the Olympic finals.
“He did some dirty things. I was fortunate I wrestled him before. In the first period, he fish-hooked me. I knew not to bite, that he was that type of wrestler. I was able to stay composed. When we were in overtime, when I was able to go for it, I was ready. Knowing the situation was a big thing for me,” he said.
ALAN ASHLEY, Continued from page 25
team effort in their sport. You have to address their unique needs, to continue to be successful. They want to have input in what they are doing for their success. That creates a partner- ship in a unique way. As they take the tools that are available to them and evolve in their careers, it brings about a different rela- tionship between coaches and athletes. It develops a mutual understanding and respect between them that is critical.
USA Wrestling: You talk about staying strong where we are strong, and creating strategic opportunities for new success and making them work. Within wrestling, can you address both of these areas, and how we might bring home even more medals at the next Olympics? Ashley: The men’s freestyle program is in a good place, and is continuing to evolve. You support what has occurred the last four years, and try to maintain and grow that program. Then you look at Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle. You have to look at what pieces are missing and bring in the resources to backfill that need. You make sure you do a good and thorough assess- ment of the athletes. You make sure there is an honest evalua- tion, so you can get more athletes in the position to succeed. There are opportunities in all three styles of wrestling. The pro- gram did great this year. But you watch how many close match-
In the finals, he was defeated by three-time World champion
Elbrus Tedeev of Ukraine, 5-1. Kelly was disappointed with the silver, but he was not disappointed in himself. “There is a big difference between gold and silver,” said Kelly. “I made a technical mistake on the bottom, a place where I am comfortable. We had worked on that position. He was one of the best in history. If I was able to wrestle him again, I believe I would beat him. But I was at peace. I did everything right preparing for the Olympics.” Kelly had decided before going to Athens that he would retire
after the Olympics. He has pursued a career in coaching, some- thing which he gives the same passion and energy as he put into his competitive career.
“I was interested from seeing how coaches played an impor-
tant role in my career and my life. Helping somebody to achieve a goal was something I could do. I wanted to pass on my knowl- edge to help people achieve their dreams,” said Kelly. He has had the opportunity to coach at a number of levels, learning from the coaches he worked with along the way. Kelly coached youth wrestlers with the Cowboy Wrestling Club at Oklahoma State and the Dallas Dynamite in Texas. He was a college assistant at Harvard and Cal Poly. This year, he accept- ed the assistant coach position at North Carolina State. He was hired by new Wolfpack head coach Pat Popolizio, an Oklahoma State teammate.
“I loved everything at Cal Poly. When N.C. State came open, Pat Popolizio had a vision on how to change the program and get it back to success. I believe in his vision. The resources are in place there for success. It is a place where I can succeed and we can do great things,” said Kelly.
Kelly also coaches freestyle, working with top athletes with the Gator Wrestling Club. He has coached the Junior World Team and a number of Senior tour teams. As a coach with the 2012 Olympic Team, Kelly played a role in the team success. He has confidence in the future of the U.S. freestyle program. “It is a catapault to continue to grow, a gateway to the top of the sport. We put the World on notice. We are back and some- thing to contend with. That is key for us moving forward to Rio, keeping that belief in ourselves,” said Kelly.
es there were in London. That is where you can get progress. You maintain what is working and you can build upon that.
USA Wrestling: In your mind, is the rest of the world spend- ing more resources and devoting more attention to their Olympic programs? Does it get harder to win as we move for- ward in time? Ashley: It is interesting to watch. There is a sense of national pride in many countries about their Olympic program. Governments have made it a high priority in many nations. There are more resources and more focus invested in those Olympic teams. For instance, in London, we won fewer medals but more golds than we did in Beijing. It is hard to assess what it will be like for us by the time we get to Rio. The quality of our athletes continue to help us to be successful. As long as we do everything we can to support these athletes, we have a chance for great success. We know the competition will get tougher.
USA Wrestler: Can Team USA to have an even better per- formance in Rio than it had in the successful London Games? Ashley: We could be better, but what that means is hard to define. I want to see that the athletes capable of winning a medal are in a position to get the job done there. If we focus on that process, our chance to succeed is tremendous.
39 USA Wrestler
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