2004 Olympic champion and Penn State coach Cael Sanderson has served as a coach, mentor, training partner and close friend to Varner during his road to becoming an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling. John Sachs photo.


Continued from page 14


ably biased, but I think it’s the best place to train for wrestling. I think we have the best coaches and we have great workout partners. The facilities are awe- some and the environment we train in is awesome. You have everything you need there. That makes a big difference.” Varner resumed full-time wrestling training in late January during a U.S. National Team Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. “Jake is on track,” U.S. National Coach Zeke Jones said. “He’s put some size on, gotten stronger and is building on his wrestling conditioning. We got a chance to work in some of his areas of improvement and I know he’s continuing to work on them. “Jake’s focus needs to be the same thing as last year and go through the same steps. Winning gold is a similar process each year – train, get better, com- pete, eat right, get good rest and minimize travel that isn’t training or competition-related. If he does that, he will achieve his goals again.” Varner said he has a new perspective now. “I think a lot of the pressure is off me now,” he said. “I won an Olympic gold medal and nobody can take that away from me. I still want to win and I want to win a World title. It’s still fun to compete and that’s why I’m still wrestling.”


Varner celebrates with his mother, Renee, after his Olympic triumph this past summer in London. John Sachs photo.


15 USA Wrestler


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