| U.S. freestyle wrestlers Williams, Lawal, Cormier weigh in and receive draws for World Wrestling Cha |
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By Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
09/24/2005
Three U.S. freestyle wrestlers who weighed in on Monday have received their draws for the first round of competition on Tuesday at the World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Competition on Tuesday, Sept. 27 will be held at 74 kg/163 lbs., 84 kg/185 lbs. and 96 kg/211.5 lbs. in men's freestyle wrestling.
At 74 kg/163 lbs., 2001 World bronze medalist Joe Williams (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) will open the competition against Kunihiko Obata of Japan.
Williams was fifth in the 2004 Olympic Games. He also competed in the 1999 World Championships, where he placed fourth, as well as the 2003 World Championships, where he did not place.
Obata was 10th in the 2003 World Championships and competed in the 2004 Olympic Games.
At 84 kg/185 lbs., Mo Lawal (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) will compete in his first World Championships, and will face Ibrahim Al Khatib of Libya in the opening round.
At 96 kg/211.5 lbs., 2004 Olympian Daniel Cormier, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC) opens with a match against Peter Pecha of Slovakia.
Cormier was fourth in the 2004 Olympic Games. He placed fifth in the 2003 World Championships, as well.
Pecha competed in both the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. He competed in three previous World Championships, but did not earn a placement in any of them.
"The draw doesn't make you win. You win or lose the tournament on the mat," said Kevin Jackson, USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach. "We look at this draw as positive. These guys all made weight and are ready. All this tells is who we have in the first round. Hopefully, we wrestle up to our potential."
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