THE LAST WORD
U.S. fans have rare chance to see Worlds, World Cup
W
hen was the last time a World Championships, fea- turing all three wrestling styles, were contested on American soil? Believe it or not, the answer is never.
American wrestling fans will receive a very unique and very
special opportunity when the 2015 World Wrestling Championships come to Las Vegas in September. The event is being held at the Orleans Arena, a sparkling 8,000-seat arena that will be rocking with raucous wrestling fans from Sept. 7-12. The 2015 World Championships is a hugely important event
as it serves as the main qualifier for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A strong home contingent was important the last time the U.S.
hosted a World Championships, when the 2003 Worlds in freestyle and women’s freestyle were held in New York City. American teams finished second in both styles in an event
that served as the main qualifier for the 2004 Olympics. The 2015 World Championships will feature an abundance of international stars, including some of the best wrestlers we’ve ever seen. That elite list is expected to be headlined by legendary three-
time Olympic gold medalists Saori Yoshida and Kaori Icho of Japan in women’s freestyle. Yoshida has won a record 12 World titles and Icho nine. And don’t forget about two-time Olympic gold medalist Mijain
Lopez of Cuba in Greco-Roman wrestling. The massive 6-foot-5 Lopez won his fourth World title in 2014. Lightweight sensation Hamid Soryan of Iran won his sixth
World title in Greco in 2014. He won the Olympics in 2012. The strong freestyle field could potentially feature an abun-
dance of proven stars as well. They include Olympic gold medalist and two-time World champion Jordan Burroughs of the U.S., Olympic gold medalist and five-time World champion
Khadshimourad Gatsalov of Russia and two-time World champion Reza Yazdani of Iran. Burroughs was injured in his first
match at the 2014 World Championships before gutting it out on an injured leg to earn a bronze medal. “It’s awesome having the Worlds in Vegas,” Burroughs said. “I
Craig Sesker
don’t think I’ve ever been as excited for an event. I have every- thing to gain again. I’m hungry. I want to compete at a high level again. The Worlds would give me huge momentum going into the Olympic year. The home-field advantage will be big for us.” Not only are the Worlds being held on U.S. soil in 2015, the
World Cup returns to Los Angeles for a second straight year. The World Cup will be held April 11-12 at the Forum. The U.S. agreed to host the 2014 World Cup just a few
months before it was wrestled, but the freestyle dual-meet event was still nothing short of outstanding. The event was held in a great venue, the historic Forum, and wrestled on two spotlighted mats. There was outstanding wrestling, highlighted by strong teams from the U.S., Iran and Russia, and the atmosphere was tremendous with a large con- tingent of Iranian and American fans in attendance. This is the first time since 2003 that the U.S. has hosted the
World Cup and World Championships in the same year. The U.S. won the World Cup in freestyle that year in Boise, Idaho before finishing second in New York. In 1995, the U.S. hosted both the World Cup and World Championships in freestyle. The U.S. won the World Cup in Chattanooga, Tenn., that year before capturing its last freestyle World Championships team title in Atlanta. No doubt, it’s going to be a memorable 2015 for wrestling in the United States. It’s an exciting time for the sport right now.
42 USA Wrestler
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