2024 Olympic Games Blog with coach Terry Steiner

Wow just WOW! I don’t know about you, but Kennedy showed me a lot today!

Kennedy Blades takes the Olympic Games by storm! Kennedy Blades showed the world today why we think so much of her. She showed grit and toughness but at the same time beauty and grace! She competed really well. She stayed tough in situations that demanded it. She showed us her athleticism, she showed us her power, and she showed the world that she came with a purpose!

What I liked most is that as she talked to reporters, she showed me that her head is in the right space. She knows that this is a lifelong dream, but she also knows that it is just a game. When asked about her first match and what she thought of her throw. She said I’m glad that Axente is going to be ok. I’m not here to hurt anyone, I am here to test myself against the best. She also said “I always say a prayer before my matches and I also pray for my opponents, that we stay safe, I don’t want anyone to get hurt, this is just a game, and we are like a big wrestling family” for a 20 year old, I think it is a great perspective.

Tomorrow, we will see 2 USA wrestlers step on the mat to compete for 2 more medals. Team USA has already earned 6 medals and 2 more chances tomorrow. The competition is earlier because tomorrow is the last day of the Paris Olympic Games of 2024. The schedule is as follows:

Sunday - August 11, 2024

Day 2

MFS 65kg - Zain Retherford

MFS 97kg - Kyle Snyder

WFS 76kg - Kennedy Blades

7:15 am - 7:30 am - Weigh-Ins are being held in Studio 7

Medical Check and Weigh-Ins #2

MFS 97kg - Kyle Snyder

WFS 76kg - Kennedy Blades

11:00 am

Repechage (65kg)- MFS

Repechage (76kg)- WFS

Repechage (97kg)- MFS

12:00 pm

Bronze Medal Match - (65kg) - MFS

12:25 pm

Gold Medal Match - (65kg) - MFS

12:35 pm

Bronze Medal Match - (97kg) - MFS - Kyle Snyder going for his 3rd Olympic Medal

1:00 pm

Gold Medal Match - (97kg) - MFS

1:20 pm

Bronze Medal Match - (76kg) - WFS

1:45 pm

Gold Medal Match - (76kg) - WFS - Kennedy Blades vs Kagami of Japan

It is late right now and we have early weigh-ins so for tonight I’m signing off

As Kennedy said “1 more sleep for gold”

Coach Steiner

Kayla Miracle had a remarkable day! She was wrestling, maybe the best I've seen her look, it just didn’t happen. Kayla started the day off with a 12-2 win over Bas from Turkey. Then she wrestled Tynybekova from Kyrgyzstan. The two of them have met 3 other times and have gone 1 and 2 against each other. It was a great match, Kayla led 3-0 at the break, but the match ended 6-6 but we lost on criteria. I challenged a call that in hindsight I probably shouldn't have challenged. We literally couldn't have asked more out of Kayla. She looked excellent today. In the next round in the Semi-Final Tynybekova was upset by Koliadenko of Ukraine. Because of that result, Kayla was eliminated from competition.

Kayla Miracle is a champion! She has had great preparation and done all of the things she is supposed to do. There are no guarantees that if we do all of the right things that everything is going to work out. But if we don’t commit, we know it is not likely or possible to accomplish the things we set out for. I heard this quote a while ago about life and I am just going to change my life with wrestling.

Wrestling is like a love affair, if you don’t go all in and give it your all, it is no use but if you do go all in and give it everything sometimes it is going to break your heart! These athletes put so much into it, years of their lives into a task but there are no guarantees. You MUST enjoy the journey and the stops along the way the destination will come soon enough. As I talked about earlier, if you want success, fall in love with the process! It cannot just be about medals and championships. There has to be a bigger picture!

USA WFS Team has another medal! Helen Maroulis put herself in the record books again as she became the first American female wrestler to earn 3 Olympic Medals. I know she wanted a different color, but she is incredible! Helen has opened the doors for young females of America to dream of becoming an Olympic Champion. Imagine being the first in your country. She could only rely on herself. Now she is a guiding light for others. Through the sport of wrestling, Helen has transformed herself into a great leader and has so much to share with others.

The ladies on this team have a great platform to change the lives of others and there is not a doubt in my mind that their influence on the next generation is going to be remarkable.

Tomorrow brings us Kennedy Blades! She is a talented bright young athlete that you are going to fall in love with. Expect a big day tomorrow! Kennedy has everything she needs to be successful here in Paris. The schedule for the day is as follows:

Saturday - August 10, 2024

Session 1

MFS 65kg - Zain Retherford

MFS 97kg - Kyle Snyder

WFS 76kg - Kennedy Blades

Session 2

MFS 74kg - Kyle Dake

7:15 am - 7:30 am - Weigh-Ins are being held in Studio 7

Medical Check and Weigh-Ins #2

MFS 74kg - Kyle Dake

7:30 am - 8:00 am - Weigh-Ins are being held in Studio 7

Medical Check and Weigh-Ins #1

MFS 65kg - Zain Retherford

MFS 97kg - Kyle Snyder

WFS 76kg - Kennedy Blades

11:00 am

Repechage (74kg)- MFS

Repechage (125kg)- WFS

Repechage (62kg)- MFS

11:30 am

1/8 Final (65kg) - MFS - Zain Retherford

1/8 Final (76kg) - WFS - Kennedy Blades vs Axente from Romania

1/8 Final (97kg) - MFS - Kyle Snyder

12:50 pm

1/4 Final (65kg) - MFS

1/4 Final (76kg) - WFS

1/4 Final (97kg) - MFS

6:15 pm

1/2 Final (65kg) - MFS

6:35 pm

1/2 Final (97kg) - MFS

6:55 pm

1/2 Finals (76kg) - WFS

7:30 pm

Bronze Medal Match - (74kg) - MFS - Kyle Dake

7:55 pm

Gold Medal Match - (74kg) - MFS

8:05 pm

Bronze Medal Match - (125kg) - MFS

8:30 pm

Gold Medal Match - (125kg) - MFS

8:50 pm

Bronze Medal Match - (62kg) - WFS

9:15 pm

Gold Medal Match - (62kg) - WFS

Thank you all for your continued support, let's get fired up about tomorrow! We’ve got GOLD to find!

Sincerely,

Coach Steiner

Dominique Parrish fell short today. Not for a lack of trying, she fought with great spirit and heart. But simply because we still have some growing to do. It was not our time on the Olympic stage, yet! Dom has shown us all that she is capable on this stage as she did win the 2022 World Championship, they don’t hand those out. We need more consistency when we step on the mat. We need to be the same person in competition regardless of our opponent. A lot of times this becomes more about finding our true self out of that mat and not changing for anyone. There is not a doubt in my mind that Dominique will bounce back and be stronger and more resilient because of it.

This is the true riches of sport! It demands the best out of us. It asks us to continually reinvent to become a stronger version of who we are. Our lesser strengths will be pointed out, someone will expose what needs work. But through the process you are molded into stronger versions of what we were before. Dominique Parrish will be back. She is a great champion who is growing on this journey and will be better because of it. She is one of the kindest souls you could meet. She is a great team player. Her better days are ahead! This is a journey, a lot of times we may be doing a lot of the right things, but we need to stay the course, we need more time!

Helen Maroulis!! Helen is an icon of our sport. She is vying for her 3rd Olympic Medal. Today, she started fast and furious coming out of the day with 2 wins and an eventual loss to Sakurai of Japan. Tomorrow she will compete for her 3rd Olympic Medal. She already has 2016 Gold, 2021 Bronze, and tomorrow night she will either face Canada or Ecuador for a 2024 Olympic Bronze Medal.

As I just talked about Dominique and her growth in the sport. Helen has an amazing story. I will start from 2008; this is when she made her first Sr Level World Team. We knew she was a rising star! For me, Helen’s Story truly began in 2012! She was the favorite but failed to make the Olympic Team going to London! She was devastated and had to make a decision. She did not know if she could get herself to go all in again because of the pain that causes when it doesn't work out. That was her decision. Thankfully for all of us because she chose to give it another shot and go ALL IN, we have been able to witness poetry in motion. Helen has won 9 World Level Medals! (1 Olympic Gold / 3 World Gold, 2 World Silver, 1 Olympic Bronze, 2 World Bronze). There is no guarantee in wrestling or in life. We commit because we WANT to accomplish something. This is not a NEED, it is a Want! Helen has fallen in love with the process! Once you fall in love with the process then everything is possible! Tomorrow Helen will go for her 3 Olympic Medal! 16 years after making her first Sr World Team. She is Amazing!

Today, Kayla Miracle steps on the Olympic Mats for the 2nd time. In Tokyo she fell short. In the meantime, Kayla has won 2 World Silver Medals and has been one of Team USA’s most consistent performers. Kayla has been around the sport since a young age as her father, Lee Miracle is a wrestling coach. In fact, Kayla wrestled for her father in college and won 4 Collegiate National Titles during her career.

Kayla will step on the Mat in round #1 vs Bas from Turkey! I hope you are staying tuned for another great day.

The schedule for day #5 is as follows:

11:30 am

1/8 Final (74kg) - MFS - Kyle Dake

1/8 Final (62kg) - WFS - Kayla Miracle

1/8 Final (125kg) - MFS - Mason Parris

12:50 pm

1/4 Final (74kg) - MFS

1/4 Final (62kg) - WFS

1/4 Final (125kg) - MFS

2:00 pm - Draw 76kg)

6:15 pm

1/2 Final (74kg) - MFS

6:35 pm

1/2 Final (125kg) - MFS

6:55 pm

1/2 Finals (62kg) - WFS

7:30 pm

Bronze Medal Match - (57kg) - MFS

7:55 pm

Gold Medal Match - (57kg) - MFS - Spencer Lee

8:05 pm

Bronze Medal Match - (86kg) - MFS - Aaron Brooks

8:30 pm

Gold Medal Match - (86kg) - MFS

8:50 pm

Bronze Medal Match - (57kg) - WFS - Helen Maroulis

9:15 pm

Gold Medal Match - (57kg) - WFS

Enjoy the Day!

Coach Steiner

It was easy to wake up today! It is amazing what the mind does. Excited about Amit’s success and USA’s newest and youngest Olympic Gold Medalist! Amit had a very busy day from what I have heard going from appearance to appearance with her new shiny piece of jewelry!

Now I am trying to go to sleep again but how can you sleep when Sarah Hildebrandt goes out and captures GOLD Medal #2. Who can sleep? Just running on adrenaline, well, and some coffee! Tomorrow when I have some time, I will have to share the drama that unfolded today at 50kg. It is remarkable how well Sarah handled that situation.

I am so happy to see their commitment paying off. A lot of people work hard and deserve success, but you still have to go out and earn it. Amit and Sarah did just that. I told you we have some unbelievable ladies on this team. So so proud of them and to be on this journey with them.

Dominique Parrish ran into a tough match vs Fujinami but got pulled back into the repechage. Dom will face Mongolia tomorrow morning in the repechage match. And then a would be bronze vs China in the evening.

Helen gets her 3rd Olympic competition started tomorrow. Helen will face Anshu from INDIA first match in the round of 16 and then either Lysak from Poland or Hrushyna from Ukraine in the ¼ Final tomorrow morning.

Amit and Sarah got us started in the right direction.

I am going to take a short nap and will chat with you all again tomorrow!

Grab a friend, have them watch Helen and Dominique perform tomorrow! Let’s expose the rest of the world to this fantastic sport. Also, Men’s Freestyle starts tomorrow. It is going to be another great day, Stay Tuned!

Now let’s continue building this ORCHARD!

Coach Steiner

WOW! That was Fun! I hope you all had a chance to watch some amazing wrestling and some very courageous ladies!

The post will be short tonight because Amit and Sarah did all of the talking on the mat.

You witnessed History tonight - the youngest Olympic Champion Wrestler in USA History! Amit looked fabulous and is just getting started.

Sarah had a flawless day as well. She wrestled in the moment and believed in her ability and in her training. Sarah will wrestle in the GOLD Medal Match tomorrow vs Vinesh of INDIA 🇮🇳!

You also witnessed Milan Lopez of Cuba 🇨🇺 win his 5th Olympic Gold Medal 🥇! So so impressive! Simply one for the ages!

Tomorrow we have Dominique Parrish at 53kg starting. I will give you the times that are local in Paris!

Wednesday - August 7, 2024

Day 1

Greco 87kg - Payton Jacobson

WFS 53kg - Dominique Parrish

Day 2

Greco 77kg - Kamal Bay

Greco 97kg - Joseph Rau

WFS 50kg - Sarah Hildebrandt

7:15 am - 7:30 am - Weigh-Ins are being held in Studio 7

Medical Check and Weigh-Ins #2

Greco 77kg - Kamal Bay

Greco 97kg - Joseph Rau

WFS 50kg - Sarah Hildebrandt

7:30 am - 8:00 am - Weigh-Ins are being held in Studio 7

Medical Check and Weigh-Ins #1

Greco 67kg

Greco 87kg - Payton Jacobson

WFS 53kg - Dominique Parrish

11:00 am

Repechage (77kg)- Greco

Repechage (50kg)- WFS

Repechage (97kg)- Greco

11:30 am

1/8 Final (67kg) - Greco

1/8 Final (53kg) - WFS

1/8 Final (87kg) - Greco

12:50 pm

1/4 Final (67kg) - Greco

1/4 Final (53kg) - WFS

1/4 Final (87kg) - Greco

2:00 pm - Draw (57kg)

6:15 pm

1/2 Final (67kg) - Greco

6:35 pm

1/2 Final (87kg) - Greco

6:55 pm

1/2 Finals (53kg) - WFS

7:30 pm

Bronze Medal Match - (77kg) - Greco

7:55 pm

Gold Medal Match - (77kg) - Greco

8:05 pm

Bronze Medal Match - (97kg) - Greco

8:30 pm

Gold Medal Match - (97kg) - Greco

8:50 pm

Bronze Medal Match - (50kg) - WFS

9:15 pm

Gold Medal Match - (50kg) - WFS

HILDEBRANDT 🇺🇸 vs VINESH 🇮🇳

Thank You all for your continued support!

Until tomorrow, Good Night!

Coach Steiner

It is time to SHINE!

We woke up to a beautiful day in Paris. It is eventually supposed to get to 83 degrees Fahrenheit outside today but inside Champ de Mars Arena it is going to heat up very quickly!

Amit was full of smiles and really good energy at weigh-ins this morning. Coach McMann, Nuwanee (our dietitian), and a USOPC Medical Staff member also was present just in case any questions surfaced at medical check and weigh-ins. All went smoothly though.

It was also fun to see some of our colleagues there with their athletes from around the globe. It is a reunion of sorts. Over the years at competitions and camps, the coaching staffs from different countries have spent a lot of great times together. On the mat of course it is business, and we all want to win but off the mat it is also important for our sport that we communicate and unite and give direction for our sport to grow. We want wrestling to have a stronger presence in the world of sport as time gloves forward, to make that happen there must be good cooperation between all of us. Too many times in sport, we don’t flip the switch on and off, and we don’t work together but I believe it is imperative that we have at minimum a great working relationship with our foreign friends. Many months, we are around each other more than our families. We must be able to be able to compete against each other but also maintain a healthy respect and friendship.

After, weigh-ins I was on a reconnaissance mission finding out how long it took the bus to get from the Olympic Village to the Champ de Mars Arena. Yesterday it was 1 hour, today it was 30 minutes. Clear as mud! Today we have a lot of time between weigh-ins and competition, but tomorrow's schedule is a bit trickier.

Today, Amit arrived the arena at around 1:30 pm for 3:00 pm match time. She had a great warm-up with Macey and Sara. Our warm-up is structured and lasts about 35 minutes. Then after the warm-up we like to have between 20-30 minutes to reset and refocus. She was ready when she stepped on the mat. Amit dominated her first two opponents, she beat Turkey 🇹🇷 10-2, and then beat Poland 🇵🇱 8-0. In the ½ Final she beat North Korea 🇰🇵 10-0 and will face Kyrgyzstan in the Gold Medal Final tomorrow night! Amit wrestled very solid today!

Sarah Hildebrandt is up next, below the athletes in the weight class are listed.

50 kg/110 lbs.

Seeds

#1 - 2023 World champion – Japan (Yui Susaki)

#2 - 2023 World silver medalist – Mongolia (Otgonjargal Dolgorjav)

#3 - 2023 World bronze medalist – China (Ziqi Feng)

#4 - 2023 World fifth place wrestle-off – Turkey (Evin Demirhan)

#5 - 2024 Pan American Olympic Qualifier finalist – Colombia (Alisson Cardoza Rey)

#6 - 2023 World bronze medalist – United States (Sarah Hildebrandt)

#7 - 2024 World Olympic Games Qualifier third place wrestle-off - AZE (Stadnik, M)

#8 - 2024 European Olympic Qualifier finalist – Ukraine (Oksana Livach)

Athletes Drawn into the Bracket

2024 Pan American Olympic Qualifier finalist – Cuba (Yuseylis Guzman Lopez)

2024 African/Oceania Olympic Qualifier finalist – Egypt (Nada Mohamed)

2024 African/Oceania Olympic Qualifier finalist – Algeria (Ibtissem Doudou)

2024 Asian Olympic Qualifier finalist – Uzbekistan (Aktenge Keunimjaeva)

2024 Asian Olympic Qualifier finalist – UWW India (Vinesh)

2024 World Olympic Games qualifier - Italy - Liuzzi

2024 World Olympic Games Qualifier finalist – GER (Blayvas A)

2024 European Olympic Qualifier - Lithuania - (DiLyte, Gabija)

I already sent the draw earlier! That’s all for a great day one! Stay with us this is going to be a great week!

Coach Steiner

Today was another fantastic day in Paris. The day started out for me with a workout on the mat with Macey Kilty. Macey was a 2023 World Silver Medalist for Team USA and is an Alternate and Workout Partner here in Paris. She is one of our bright young superstars in the USA. We had a great workout on the mat at the USA Training Facility. Sarah Hildebrandt was also on the mat today. Dominique Parrish and Amit Elor were off of the mat today.

After the workout, Cody Bickley, Herb House, Momir Petkovic and myself rode a van to the Olympic Village. I checked back in and dropped my gear then we took the van from the village to the venue to check the time of the ride so that we can know what to expect for travel time in the coming days. About 50 minutes later, after we arrived at the venue, we had the draw for tomorrow as you have already seen. Then I returned to the village on the bus back to the village.

I had the privilege of running into Mounir Zok. Mounir used to work for the USOPC but is now living in Valencia, Spain. Mounir is the co-founder and the CEO of N3XT Sports, a highly specialized digital transformation agency helping develop technology-led, data-driven ecosystems for international sports organizations. That is way over my head, but I really enjoyed our time working together in the USA and it is great to see him doing great things in the world of sport.

This evening, I jumped in the sauna at the village to relax a bit and grabbed a bite to eat with Macey Kilty.

Before we start competition tomorrow, I just want to throw a big Thank You out to so many people. So many have poured into this program and these athletes, I know I will never capture everyone. If you are not mentioned, I apologize ahead of time.

I do want to thank my wife, Jodi and daughter Raven. 22 years ago, when we started this journey, I don’t think any of us realized what we were getting into. It has been and continues to be an experience that challenges us, drives us, and fulfills us. We have all grown so much from this experience. Jodi and Raven have given up a lot as they have allowed me to be during this journey. They both have added tremendously to the program behind the scenes. They have brought strength, direction, and female thought to the program. Lord knows I couldn’t have been on this journey this long without them. I don’t have all the answers, but I am a good listener and if you know Jodi and Raven, they are not short on opinions. I know the women’s program has tremendous support; we thank you all for being on this journey with us. Together, we are better!

I also want to talk about our major funding clubs that feed our national program. They help in so many ways but financially, the clubs allow our athletes to live the life of an elite athlete. They for the most part take care of domestic events. That is, they help financially so that we can develop athletes. They get them to competitions and camps domestically and also internationally. The clubs also give monthly stipends to our top athletes. There is no way that our program could function without the financial and coaching help that these clubs provide.

The clubs are listed in no particular order, they all help us tremendously.

The Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club - Founded by Art and Sue Martori. The club is located in Phoenix, Arizona and is run by Kim Martori. Sunkist has been around for 50 years. The Games of 2024 in Paris will mark the end of an era as Sunkist has decided this will be their last run. We are so thankful for Sunkist and the Martori Family for all that you have done for the sport of wrestling. Sunkist sponsors Dominique Parrish, Helen Maroulis, Kayla Miracle, and Kennedy Blades.

The Titan Mercury Wrestling Club - Founded by Andy and Avery Barth. The club is located in San Marino, California. Johnny Ruggiano oversees the club operation and Marcie Van Dusen (2008 Olympian) is the Women’s Director of the club. They have one Olympian in WFS competition this week in Amit Elor.

The New York Athletic Club (NYAC) is based out of New York City - and the women’s side of the club that is run by Dave Foxen. They have one WFS Olympian in Paris in Sarah Hildebrandt. Sarah is funded by the NYAC.

The World Class Athlete Program is a product of the US Army - it is based out of Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is run by Army Command - The WCAP WFS Program is coached by Bruce Robinson.

Also, starting to come into play within the Women’s National Team programs are Regional Training Centers (RTC Programs) that are separate entities from NCAA Institutions but are closely related. The programs are to support post collegiate athletes. So, an athlete can go to school and stay at that institution for their entire careers. It is kind of a one stop shop. So, there are a few RTC Programs starting up that also help athletes around the country.

Well, the day has finally arrived. I hope you are excited to see the best of the best battle for Olympic Gold. It does not get any better than this. Amit Elor is down to weight and ready to go. We have many great match ups in each of the weight classes. Who will become our next Olympic Champions? Set your alarms, get your tv’s set-up and enjoy the show!

If you are unsure how to view wrestling this week, please go to the USA Wrestling Website for programming information.

The schedule for Monday - August 5, 2024

- Olympic Games Wrestling Competition Starts - all times below are local Paris time.

Day 1

Greco 60kg

Greco 130kg - Adam Coon

WFS 68kg - Amit Elor

7:30 am - 8:00 am - Weigh-Ins are being held in Studio 7

Medical Check and Weigh-Ins #1

Greco 60kg

WFS 68kg - Amit Elor

Greco130kg - Adam Coon

3:00 pm

1/8 Final (60kg)- Greco

1/8 Final (68kg)- WFS

1/8 Final (130kg)- Greco

4:20 pm

1/4 Final (60kg)- Greco

1/4 Final (68kg)- WFS

1/4 Final (130kg)- Greco

5:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Draw for 50kg

9:00 pm

1/2 Finals (60kg)- Greco

9:20 pm

1/2 Finals (130kg)- Greco

9:40 pm

1/2 Finals (68kg)- WFS

Thank You all for your continued support of these amazing ladies!

Let’s Go Team USA!!

Good night!

Lead the Charge…

Embrace the Battle...!

Expect Success!!!

Coach Steiner

Hello from Paris! I am sitting next to the pool at the USA Wrestling Training Center here in Paris. Sarah HIldebrandt and Dominique Parrish were both on the mat this morning and were focused on a few areas that they wanted to work on but also got some sparring time in a variety of situations. Just letting themself flow and feel their attacks. Like I have stated before, we want them to have high energy right now when they step on the mat. It is important that they bring passion to the mat.

Amit had the morning off and was just getting a cardio and weight cut session this afternoon. Amit starts in 2 days. Amit has had so much success at a very early age and stage in her career, but it is important to understand and realize that she is still only 20 years old. I say that because I believe it is important to have someone around her that knows the process and communicates well. This is where Sara McMann comes in. Coach McMann is a great communicator and is very articulate with everything she does. Sara is the perfect mentor for Amit.

Tomorrow afternoon we have the draw for 68kg, so we will know the completed bracket at that time. Because Amit is moving into this weight class from the weight above, she will not be seeded but that doesn’t mean she is not worthy of a seed. It is a tough weight category which you would expect at the Olympic Games, from what I can see there are 6 World Champs at the weight. It is going to be exciting!

SJ Asmann, USA Wrestling

Olympic Qualified Athletes | 68 kg/149.75 lbs.

Former or Current World Champions **

Olympic Seeds

#1 - Turkey (Buse Cavusoglu Tosun)**

#2 - Mongolia (Delgermaa Enkhsaikhan)

#3 - France (Koumba Larroque)

#4 - Moldova (Irina Ringaci)**

#5 - Ukraine – (Tetiana Sova Rizhko)

#6 - Nigeria (Blessing Oborududu)

#7 - Venezuela (Soleymi Carballo Hernandez)

#8 - China (Feng Zhou)

Athletes Drawn into the Bracket

Japan (Nonoka Ozaki)**

United States (Amit Elor)**

New Zealand (Tayla Ford)

Poland (Wiktoria Choluj)

North Korea (Sol Gum Pak)

India (Nisha)

Canada (Linda Morais)**

Kyrgyzstan (Meerim Zhumanazarova)**

So as you can tell, it is not an easy competition. It is the best of the best fighting for Olympic Greatness! We should expect to see some great matches to start out the week of Olympic Competition.

The landscape of women’s wrestling has changed dramatically over the years. Again, it is the 20th anniversary of women's wrestling as a part of the Olympic Games. The first Olympic Games for women’s wrestling was in Athens in 2004. Since that time, we have gone from 4 to 6 weights in Olympic competition and from 7 to 10 Weights in World Championship competition and all other events during the year. Only the Olympic Games and the Pan-American Games limit Women’s Freestyle, Men’s Freestyle and Greco-Roman Wrestling to 6 weight categories. All other events we compete in have 10 weight categories.

The change of landscape in the USA is because a lot of people are working in the same direction. There are so many different organizations that have put their heads together for the betterment and growth of the sport in our country. I would like to name a few of these organizations.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame - The NWHOF has played a significant role in remembering our heroes and giving them the credit and appreciation they deserve.

The Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Coalition - has been the group of institutions that has worked together to advance women’s wrestling within our collegiate system.

D1 Women’s Wrestling - has also berm the organization pushing for the advancement of women’s wrestling with in D1 Schools in the USA,

Wrestle Like a Girl - has had a huge voice within the sport for bringing awareness to females in the sport of wrestling worldwide and all age groups.

Luchafit - has been helping people in the sport and at the beginning of the sport to have a better more understandable path through the sport. From coaching, to scouting, to parenting they are giving much needed resources.

The National Wrestling Coaches Association - have been advocates for opening doors for college athletic departments giving them pathways to add the sport into their athletic departments.

USA Wrestling - has given our athletes opportunity and experiences they need to be successful in the international mat. We have fought for the inclusion of females at all levels of wrestling from grassroots through elite level.

Flo Wrestling - has helped broadcast the stories and personalities of females in the sport of wrestling.

Intermat - has been a long-time partner of all things wrestling.

Through the work of the organizations above and I’m sure I have missed some, we have come a long way and had some significant growth in the sport over the last 8-10 years.

Changing the mindset of the people that have had the keys to opening up the opportunities at the grassroots level in our sport has been the key. We’ve had to help parents, coaches, and administrators see the value of the sport on our young females. Once they understood that the path became clear.

Now we have grown at rates even we couldn’t have imagined. A few things had to happen for the sport to grow.

1- For long term success we need to have a pipeline that continues to replenish itself as athletes and coaches age out of the game. You need to have others stepping into those shoes. To do this, you must have opportunities at the grass roots levels for young girls to be involved in the sport. For a long time, in the USA, this was not being done. Women’s wrestling was taboo, if you will. But those days are gone. Not saying that the work is done but it is progressing forward, attitudes are changing, coaches, parents, and administrators are opening up the opportunities and our numbers are growing. We are growing at a rate of about 20-23% across the board.

2- State High School Sanctioning of the sport. We have gone from 6 states that have sanctioned the sport of Girls Wrestling at the high school level 8 years ago to 32 states 4 years ago. Today, we have 47 states sanctioned in the sport of Girls High School Wrestling. There are so many people that have put into this effort over the years that there are too many to mention but we are grateful for all of you that see the VALUE of wrestling on young girls across our country.

3- College growth has exploded as well. In 2002, when women’s wrestling was added to the Olympic Family, we had 5 women’s college wrestling programs, today we have over 170, yes over 170! We also have Championship status in all college divisions NJCAA, NAIA, with the exception of the NCAA and we expect that in the very near future. This means that the numbers in athletic departments now count towards Title 9. How this works is if a school has 55% Female and 45% male in their student population, then the athletic department needs to have the same proportion in their numbers. When Emerging sport status was given to these college divisions that means that those numbers count against the proportionality numbers. Before a college could add a women’s program but the numbers wouldn’t count. So, it is a huge deal for Women’s Wrestling to gain Emerging Sport Status. I hope I did not butcher that too bad…? Championship status means we have accepted as a fully sanctioned sport in those divisions.

4- With this growth we now have opportunities for coaches to step into Women’s Wrestling so we have some of our best coaches spending time with our best athletes. This is a win-win-win situation all the way around. We are excited and welcome all into the sport of women’s wrestling

5- Funding for the sport in the USA is different than in most countries. The USOPC operates from raised monies, private and corporate sponsorship. Most countries have government appropriated funds. I believe the USOPC and USAW does a great job at what they do. We may not have more money, but I do think we have better run organizations and better people behind the scenes that are very good and very focused on what they do. Having said that, the monies usually go from the top down. Our Elite athletes are the focus, but you cannot buy an Olympic Medal at 20 years old. You have to start and purchase and invest in that medal when these athletes are 14-15-16 years old. You must give them the experiences and knowledge they need over a period of time. Success doesn’t happen overnight, it also doesn’t happen by accident. There must be a plan but there must be the resources to carry out the plan! First the Human Resources, the athletes, then the coaches but then the ability to put them in situations and experiences to help them grow and develop.

Richard Immel, USA Wrestling

So back to our UNITED WORLD WRESTLING (UWW), U15 and U17 Teams. They are at the beginning stage of the development process as we are looking at the big Olympic picture. This is the starting point where, as a staff, we will begin to spend more time, energy, and resources on these athletes. We will bring them together as a national team (top 3 at each weight - 10 weights) and give them the knowledge and experiences they need to continue to rise up through the development system. When our senior level athletes retire from competition, we do not want to have a drop in team performance. We want the next person up to be able to fill the shoes of those that came before them.

I have shared this story before, but I believe it is worth repeating. I would really like to share the story of the Chinese bamboo tree.

When the bamboo seed is planted into the ground it takes time to grow. The farmer must be patient, he / she must have faith, and must have a system of nurturing and caring for the seed. The farmer must water it, he / she must till the soil in which the seed sits, he must make sure the weeds (obstacles / adversities) do not stunt the growth. He must have patience!

The bamboo seed is invisible above ground. You cannot see anything above ground for months and years. How many times do we give up on things because we want a quick fix, we cannot see results fast enough? In life, the quick fix, the get rich quick schemes usually fall flat. Why? Because there is no foundation. You see the Bamboo tree grows and grows and grows but the true growth we never see. The growth is below ground in a massive root system, this only grows because the farmer is persistent in his efforts. He is not looking for someone to confirm with him. The farmer understands the process and understands that while they cannot see growth above ground, the growth of the root system is ever expanding, and the foundation is widespread. The farmer knows that the daily care, and nurturing will in the long run pay off.

And so it does... in year 5, yes in YEAR 5, you start to see the bamboo sprout come above ground. Because of the years of guidance and nurturing and care the bamboo seed now has a strong, wide, and healthy foundation. And because of the strong foundation, the bamboo tree grows up to 80 feet in a week!! Those who weren’t watching would say, Success overnight!! There is no such thing, this is no fairy tale! Success happens for a reason it is because we are diligent in our efforts, we are persistent. We continue on even when everyone tells us to stop because we know that there is a process to success! The bamboo tree can teach us a lot about our lives!!!

We finished the night tonight at the USA house where USAW and the USOPC hosted a gathering for United World Wrestling Board Members. In appreciation of the cooperation and working relationship that we have had with them since saving the sport in 2012-2013. It was a great celebration, UWW Leader, Mr. Nenad Lalovic, USAW President Bruce Baumgartner, and USAW Executive Director Rich Bender said a few words. A lot of the UWW Bureau Members were present. It was a great evening to celebrate our great sport.

Until Tomorrow!

Coach Steiner

Hello to everyone from Paris! We are now divided into 2 groups.

Group 1 consists of the following:

Team Elor (Amit Elor / Macey Kilty / Coach Sara McMann)

Team Hildebrandt (Sarah Hildebrandt / Drew Hildebrandt / Coach Vlad Izboinikov)

Team Parrish (Dominique Parrish / Katie Gomez / Coach Nate Engel)

Group 2 consists of the following:

Team Maroulis (Helen Maroulis / Kyler Larkin / Coach Angel Cejudo)

Team Miracle (Kayla Miracle / Amanda Martinez / Coach Lee Pritts)

Team Blades (Kennedy Blades / Reese Larramendy / Coach Israel Martinez)

Group 1 traveled to Paris today because they will compete August 5-8. Group 2 is still in Houlgate, finishing up training, they will compete August 8-11. There are a lot of logistics that we must take care of and figure out during the next couple of days. USA Wrestling WFS Program Staff Coaches will be in charge of communicating the workout plans and intentions of these next couple days.

We are all separated not only from Houlgate to Paris but also within the group in Paris the Olympians will stay in a hotel close to the USA training location here in Paris. The training partners will stay in another hotel a couple of miles away from the training location and the personal coaches are even further away from the training location. So, we are separated and must make sure that we have all of our logistics figured out so that we are still there for the Olympians when they need us for the last couple of days prior to competition.

The weigh-ins for the competition will be held at the Olympic Village during the morning of the competition days. The personal coaches and training partners will stay in an Airbnb close to Olympic Village, the night before and the night of competition. I will stay in the village with the Olympians. The others will stay in their respective hotels until the day before they compete. There are a lot of moving parts, and we need everyone paying attention and communicating. We do not want to bog down the athletes with a bunch of information so the personal coaches and training partners will be the ones communicating with Coach Katie Kriebel and Coach Jessica Medina Bunker and myself.

We departed the Centre in Houlgate today at Noon. It was about a 2.5-to-3-hour bus ride today, but it went by smoothly. After arriving, the bus stopped at the Olympian hotel first, then it went to the workout partner hotel and finally the personal coach hotel. This evening Sarah, Dominique and Amit workout out to continue to grind away at their weight and just loosen up from the bus ride. Sarah did a cardio / sauna workout. Dominique got on the mat. Amit did some stance and motion on the mat and then just got a good sweat in.

After workout tonight Coach Vlad izboinikov / Nate Engel and myself got a bite to eat close to the Olympian hotel where I am staying and then they took an uber back to their hotel. I am now back in my room writing the blog and thinking about tomorrow.

It felt different leaving Houlgate today, we only have half of the family but in Paris it is hectic and a lot harder to operate so we wanted our group 2 to stay in Houlgate a few days longer. Group 2 will travel in with Men’s Freestyle. WFS Group 1 traveled today with Greco. Because Greco starts with WFS group 1 and Men’s Freestyle starts with WFS Group 2 so they will travel on August 5 to Paris.

The Team and the Support Staff and the “Team behind the Team” seem to be in good spirits and operating smoothly right now. Everyone is so professional about what they are doing. I am proud to be associated with this organization and this group of people.

Tomorrow morning, group 1 will be utilizing the USA Training Facility throughout the day. My first order of business is to travel to the Airbnb Locations near the village and near the venue to check into them and make sure all accommodations are good. The reason we have the locations is to keep our mini teams close to one another. The Village Airbnb will house the personal coaches and the workout partners because they do not have a bed in the village, and it is too far to travel early in the morning to assist the Olympian in their final weight cut. The reason we have the Airbnb near the venue is because in between the sessions it is too far to go back to the village for the athlete to rest, so we have the Airbnb so the mini team can be with the Olympian for the time between rounds to make sure they have what they need. It may seem like a bit much to have these Airbnb locations, but the little things make a difference and as I have said before, the difference between winning and not winning is very small. We as a support team want to make sure that we leave no stone unturned.

de Paris, bonne nuit! Encore 3 dormirs!

Coach Steiner

Today was a great day of training for WFS. They all had an individual day where they could focus on their needs. Each of the personal coaches guided them through individual workouts. Everyone has different needs and focuses. We had athletes on the mat at all different times during the day. It was great seeing the mini teams work together to make some final adjustments.

At this point in the training less becomes more. The physical and technical side of the work is 99% complete. Yes, the athletes need to make weight so there is that. But at this point, the athletes are who they are technically. They are who they are physically. The thing that can really change at this point is the mental side of it. What is their approach and perspective as they start their Olympic Journeys. Are they excited about the opportunity in front of them or are they weighed down with the burden of performance. It is interesting how we can be in the same place but have two completely different perspectives. We want to make sure that we are looking at the wonderful opportunity. We want to make sure that we are grateful for the position and the opportunities we have in front of us. We are all doing what we choose to do, what we love to do but sometimes we need to be reminded of this. This is where the team behind the team comes in. Everyone needs help along the journey. We are here to be the support! Again, the athletes are the real talent and deserve the credit.

The workout partner has a very thankless job. Understand that many of them wanted to be the Olympian and had their own dreams crushed just a couple of weeks prior at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The wounds of disappointment of years of work and sacrifice did not produce the end result they wanted. They had to put their disappointment behind them and decide if they wanted to help someone else accomplish their dreams. Think about that…. Think about someone taking what you wanted and then having the grace to put it behind you and help that person accomplish the goal you had for yourself. It takes a quality person of character to make that decision.

Richard Immel, USA Wrestling

I like this quote for athletes who are asked to be workout partners and are questioning whether to do it or not.

“If you focus on the loss you will continue to hurt, if you focus on the lesson you will continue to grow”

What we are asking of the workout partners is not a small commitment. It definitely occupied most of the summer outside of a few dates. If we were not in camp the workout partners were to be available to travel to the Olympians home locations so they could train with their personal coaches.

Camp #2 - May 19-25

Camp #3 - June 23-30

Camp #4 - July 7-13

Acclimation Camp - Camp #5 - July 26-August 5

Olympic Games - August 5-11 (depending on the athlete)

Working with the Olympian on other dates, between camps is also

The workout partner is such an important part of the training process. Of course, physically, the Olympians need a quality partner to train with but it is a lot more than that. The training partner sets the tone. They bring the energy and help create the environment for the day. As you can imagine, there is a lot of stress and pressure on the Olympian. They must be able to keep the Olympian relaxed, comforted, and just make sure they have their needs met. They may wash clothes, they may make meals, the tasks could be endless. You are simply there to please. This is not a vacation!

The workout partners are also very involved with the scouting. The mini team, (Olympian, personal coach, and workout partner) work together on scouting their opponents. They were all given video links of the 15 other participants in their weight categories. The workout partner is asked to know the competitors in their weight category so they can emulate them as much as possible. They were given a scouting form with all the information on as well. Mostly, we just want the Olympian to know the tendencies of their opponents. A few things that we are looking for with our opponents are as follows:

Lead Leg

Movement

Ties on the feet

Attacks on the feet

Special Defenses

Attacks in Par Terre (on the mat)

Any Tricks

How do I need to wrestle this opponent?

It is basic, but it gives us a good platform to work from. We want to know our opponents, but we don’t want to concern ourselves with them to the point of not wrestling our style of match.

The workout partner is also asked to be a good communicator with the personal coach and national staff. We want to know the little things that the athletes may be sharing about how they are feeling. We also want them to understand that there are a lot of logistics, and we need to get things in a timely manner. So, we ask them to be responsible and communicate.

The other thing to realize is that they are not getting paid to commit to this. They are helping out because they see the value in it for the Olympian and yes, as we know by helping and giving to others, we can also help ourselves, it is a part of the healing process.

So I do want to thank all our workout partners for putting their energy and love into others. You are making a difference for Team USA!

Another person that is around camp this week is 1976 Olympic Champion, Momir Petkovic. Momir is the former assistant national team coach for the USA Greco Team. Currently, Momir is the personal coach for Adam Coon. Success breeds Success! Momir is an icon in the sport of wrestling and is a great mentor for all of us involved in the Olympic movement. Today, he took the time to help Kennedy Blades. He didn’t have to do this, but he loves the sport and couldn’t turn down the opportunity to help Kennedy. The sport has moved forward with people like Momir. I cannot even begin to tell you the amount of respect and admiration that I have for him. He saw a need and he, on his own doing stepped in to help. Thank You Momir!

Richard Immel, USA Wrestling

The other thing that I am truly impressed with is the amount of athletes within this organization that have chosen Christ as their savior! Jose Campo is our chaplain within our National Teams. He has done an unbelievable job of opening up the doors for our athletes and coaches to feel comfortable in sharing their faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ! It is truly inspirational to hear their testimonies during camp.

Jusqu’a la prochaine fois,

Coach Steiner

Hello from Houlgate, France, and the Centre Sportif de Normandie! We have been to a lot of different locations for acclimation camp over the years, but they are not better than the Centre Sportif de Normandie! Two years ago in September, we started to look for training locations in France for the 2024 Paris Games. We were in Paris @ INSEP (The French Training Center in Paris) for our acclimation camp prior to the 2022 World Championships that were being held in Belgrade, Serbia. On our recovery day, myself, our dietitian, and our chiropractor drove to Houlgate to visit the center. They were very eager to host us. They laid out the red carpet for us and showed that they were willing to go the extra mile for us. At the time, a lot of planning and projects were happening on the complex. They asked what our needs were and made it very clear that they wanted to make things work with USA Wrestling for our acclimation for Paris 2024.

Last year the USA WFS Program and the Greco Program came here for our acclimation camp prior to the World Championships in 2023. Everything that we asked for in 2022, they delivered upon. Now after 2023, acclimation camp we had even a few more things for them to work on. Things like washer and dryers, air conditioning units, better and more reliable internet, single rooms for our Olympians and Coaches. Well again, they delivered!

The margins between winning and losing at this level are minimal. We want to make sure on our part as coaches and leaders of USA Wrestling that we are doing our part to create an environment for the athletes that is stress free. We want to have an environment in which the athletes have the ability to calm their minds and get focused on the opportunity ahead of them. The Centre Sportif de Normandie has done their part; they have given us an environment that has helped all of us move forward. I have always liked the saying

“If you put ordinary people in an extraordinary environment, they become EXTRAORDINARY!”

I want to give special thanks to Mathilde, Stephan, Luanne, and Paul for not only making our stay excellent but treating us like family!

I would also like to take a moment to thank our personal coaches for everything they do. They are the heroes behind the scenes putting in countless hours and energy for the betterment of others. They all have their own personal styles, techniques and tactics. This is what makes us stronger not that we all see things the same way but rather that we bring our different perspectives to the table, give insights and add to the group but drop our egos at the door. This is not always an easy thing to do because we all have our own ways of doing things but what you realize after time is that there are different ways to get to the top. What works for one athlete may not work for every athlete. One coach may not be the right coach for every athlete. In fact, there is no coach that is right for every athlete, but this is why it is important to have different minds, communication, and philosophies because amongst the group you will find the right fit for the athlete. I think the worst fear as a coach is that you are blind-sided by something you didn’t see coming and the athlete is not prepared, or you just couldn’t reach a certain athlete. This is why we have a staff of coaches working in the same direction and not caring where the credit belongs. But instead appreciate each other’s differences for what we collectively bring to the group.

Richard Immel, USA Wrestling

The other thing I have realized overtime is that the senior level athlete also needs to be a part of the planning process. As a senior level athlete, they have been around for a while and need to have a voice in their preparation. As a coach, you need to guide and direct but you also need to let them have a voice. In doing so you are empowering them, strengthening them and building their own confidence in their own thoughts and in their own abilities. The coach / athlete relationship must be a partnership not a dictatorship.

I look at coaching a lot like parenting. When an individual is 10 years old, they need a lot of guidance and direction and yes, they may need to be told what to do. As the individual grows older, hopefully we have let them make some mistakes and we let them learn some lessons on their own. Hopefully, they are becoming stronger, more confident individuals by the day and eventually they can stand on their own two feet. The elite level athlete is usually between 18-33 or 34 years old. They should be stronger and stronger as time goes on. They need to be a part of the process and the decision making because at the end of the day it is their careers, and they should have a say in decisions. The elite athlete just like the young adult should need their parents less and less as they get older and have more life experiences. At the end of our time together whether this is a child or an athlete this is the end goal. This is when we know true success. We want confident people who can wrestle through life's obstacles with confidence and on their own. To get there is a process, as we all know, this doesn't happen overnight.

Again, I want to recognize our personal coaches for Paris 2024

Team Sarah Hildebrandt

Workout Partner: Drew Hildebrandt

Personal Coach: Vladislav Izboinikov

Club Affiliation: New York Athletic Club - NYAC

Team Dominique Parrish

Workout Partner: Katie Gomez

Personal Coach: Nate Engel

Club Affiliation: Sunkist Kids

Team Helen Maroulis

Workout Partner: Kyler Larkin

Personal Coach: Angel Cejudo

Club Affiliation: Sunkist Kids

Team Kayla Miracle

Workout Partner: Amanda Martinez

Personal Coach: Lee Pritts

Club Affiliation: Sunkist Kids

Team Amit Elor

Workout Partner: Macey Kilty

Personal Coach: Sarah McMann

Club Affiliation: Titan Mercury Wrestling Club - TMWC

Team Kennedy Blades

Workout Partner: Reese Larramendy

Personal Coach: Israel Martinez

Club Affiliation: Sunkist Kids

Richard Immel, USA Wrestling

Today was a great training day! It was match day. We had 3 athletes in at 9:00 am, 2 athletes in at 10:00 am and 1 athlete in at 2:30 pm. Each of them had 1 or 2 matches and then worked on some technical areas. Again, I have talked about this a lot but at this point in the game, not much is going to change technically. The energy and passion they bring to the mat is probably going to be the difference maker. I ask myself a few questions:

1- What does the athlete want to do today?

2- What are they feeling? Are they passionate about being on the mat?

3- What is their energy level? What is their body language?

4- Are they enjoying being on the mat today? Are they having fun?

We finished the night with a logistics meeting with our National Team Director, Cody Bickley. We started to talk about all the logistics as we start to head back to Paris on August 2, 2024

It is almost time to SHINE!

Good Night!

Coach Steiner

Today was a recovery day. All the WFS athletes were off the mat today. They all did get in some cardio, sauna, and S&C. At this point in the training, rest is just as important as the work. It is important that our enthusiasm and energy levels are at a high. The work is mostly done. Not a lot is going to change at this point. What will change is our excitement, love, and passion for what we are doing. Sometimes, we need to take a step back and some time off the mat to realize why we are doing what we are doing. Time off the mat can help us get a different perspective. We need to be excited about what we are doing. It cannot be just another day at work. It has to be a day that has a gold medal effort and passion for what we are doing. It seems like a simple concept, but you have to realize, these athletes have worked for weeks, months, years, and maybe even decades to get to the point where they are today. Stepping back can be a hard thing. Many have been built with the mindset that more is better. But at this point in the process, I find that when we can take ourselves out of it, even for a short time, it helps give us a different perspective. We must be grateful for the journey we are on. It cannot be just another day going through the motions. We need 100% focus and effort. At this point, we must try to have a Gold Medal Day, every day! So, a recovery day becomes important as anything, so we are excited to get on the mat.

The coaches and support staff took advantage of the day off and traveled about an hour to Omaha Beach, and the American Cemetery here in the Normandy Region. Thanks to Rich and Leanne Tavoso for the invite to join MFS today. It was a moving experience. You are quickly humbled with the realization of the sacrifice that was done by those before us so that we could live the life we live. During the visit, I heard that the negotiations with the U.S. Government and the Allied Forces were that the U.S. Forces would join the invasion on D-Day but what was wanted in return was that France would give the USA a plot of land to bury our casualties. That is pretty powerful! What the generations before us gave the ultimate sacrifice for people they did not even know. What would we give for people of the next generation that we don’t even know?

Richard Immel, USA Wrestling

While we were walking through the cemetery, I started to think about impact. What impact will we leave for the generation following us? How are we making a difference during our short time here on earth? Will the people in our corner of the world be better off because of our actions?

So, I started to think, what is happening right in front of me. I need to give some credit where credit is due. Sara McMann is one of our pioneers. She was a leader as an athlete and is now becoming a leader as a coach. Sara has put her efforts back into the sport and the USA Program. Sara is currently helping our Olympic Team in 2024. Sara was on the first Olympic Team for Team USA in 2004. Sara won USA’s first silver medal in the Olympic Competition 20 years ago. Now, she is a personal coach for Amit Elor, who is striving to become the youngest Olympic Champion in USA history. I take great pride in seeing this happen. For me, seeing Sara giving back to the next generation of superstars is what it is all about. She had great success herself and now she is giving back. She has the personal experience and knowledge of what it takes to be successful at this level and she is sharing this knowledge. Sara was away from wrestling in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) for a while and now is back in the sport of wrestling. She is not the only person giving back but she is front and center at the moment.

Richard Immel, USA Wrestling

Tomorrow, we will have another great day. We will be doing matches and then have some time to spend with the athletes on their technical areas that need addressing. Practices will be short. Over the next few days, the athletes will be doing a little more cardio and drills on their own. Only a part of practice will be structured.

We will also have a meeting with our National Team Director, Cody Bickley tomorrow evening. During the meeting, we want to make sure personal coaches, workout partners, and staff all understand the movement that will happen on our return to Paris on Friday.

Until tomorrow, Good Night!

Coach Steiner

Hello from Houlgate! We had another great day of training. We were in the wrestling room most of the day. Dominique Parrish, Kayla Miracle, and Kennedy Blades were on the mat at 9:00 am. Helen Maroulis was on the mat at 11:00 am. Amit Elor was on the mat at 2:30 pm and Sarah Hildebrandt was on the mat at 4:00 pm. Kennedy Blades also returned to the mat for some technical work at 4:00 pm. It was again a short intense practice. The athletes were put in some tough must score / must defend situations. Sometimes they were down by just a point, other times they were put down by 5 points, or 3 points. We also put them in situations where they had to defend their lead. The situations were to test them mentally as much as physically.

I really like where our minds are at right now. The athletes seem to be relaxed and enjoying the process. I love seeing them have the passion for the process. This to me is so important. If you love what you are doing, and doing what you love, success usually follows. The partners, coaches, and Olympians seem to be enjoying their time and on the same token they are being very professional.

Richard Immel, USA Wrestling

We want to make sure they can stay calm mentally in tough situations. The athletes must be resilient in the mindset and be able to adapt mentally to whatever the situation gives us. This is hard to do if you have never been in these situations until competition time. When we talk about mental toughness, we are really talking about mental resiliency or flexibility. When we think about life or a wrestling match, it is not always perfect. We know it will be a challenge. The question is, can we rise to the occasion when asked. We are not asking them to be perfect, but we are asking them to be able to adjust to whatever the situation calls for, physically our bodies can adjust but mentally we must be willing to go into that space. Mental toughness is a learned trait that is not inherited nor given, it must be acquired over time. Situations in training and in life mold us into the person we are.

The question that will come to us in tough situations is “are we flexible in our mindset?” or “do we have the ability to go with the flow?” Being resilient is an important skill for any kind of success in life. We have all seen talented athletes that never make it, and we have seen scholars that have the knowledge but not the intangibles to succeed. Mental resilience is as important as anything if we are going to accomplish anything in life.

How do the athletes deal with the anxiety as games are closer? What do you do to help them deal with these nerves.

Excitement, nervousness, and questions are all a part of performance. It really just means you care. It means you are invested. We try to help them realize that these feelings are a normal part of competing and performance. It is important that you learn how to manage it though, it is just as important as it is to build strategies for technique or lifting weights and getting stronger. To be mentally strong to me means that you remain resilient and steadfast through all situations. You must be steadfast with your emotions, your emotions cannot “blow in the wind.” You must be in control of your emotions and your reactions.

Back to the question. How do you help them deal with these emotions

1- We try to help them realize that this is normal. Everyone deals with this. If you don’t control your emotions, your emotions will control you.

2- We help them understand that you will not stop it. That small voice in your head will continue to over think and evaluate and ask the questions, What if this or what if that. Rather than try to stop it, manage your thoughts and be aware of what you say to yourself.

This question was posed to me early in my career as an athlete. The person asked me the following question. “If you talked to your best friend the way you talk to yourself, would they still be your best friend?” Think about that for a second and read it again!

In my case, and in most cases, if you listen to that small voice that we all have, most of the time we are very hard, critical, and damaging to ourselves. While we build others up, we wait for others to build us up. Most of the time, we don’t treat ourselves well. The answer to the question better be YES! You are with yourself 100% of the time. You better be your own best friend and advocate for you. You are constantly programming your mind, right or wrong, true or false. Make sure you are building yourself up, not cutting yourself down. We MUST HAVE control of our own thoughts!

3- Pressure that athletes feel is real. All the training comes down to moments, but pressure is also a privilege! It means that you are relevant. It does not mean winning is necessary. Life will go on with or without the victory. You WANT a desired result, but it is not a NEED. There is a big difference between the two. If you are not happy without a certain goal accomplished chances, are you won’t be happy with it.

The athletes are on the Olympic Team! They are an elite group of performers; this one performance will not change anything about them. The medal around their neck or not, is not going to change our perception of them. It is not going to change the conversation at the dinner table. How they have lived their lives and disciplined their minds, and worked tirelessly in pursuit of a dream has shaped them and challenged them and helped them grow into a strong human being that can handle life’s adversities. This is what sport is all about. Those are the true riches of the sport! The medal around the neck is icing on the cake! At this point in their careers, they have already won, long before the end of competition.

4- The athletes need to know you care about them as a human being, not just about their performance on the mat. They need to trust in you as a coach or a parent that you love them and care for them regardless of the result. It will take the weight off them and free them up to be themselves and have great performances because they understand they are doing this for themselves not for your approval of them.

Tonight, the administrators at the Sport Centre of Normandy, hosted our coaches, athletes, and the administrators of USA Wrestling. They wanted to tell us how much they appreciated us deciding on this location for camp. They are very proud of their region and their center, and they appreciate the relationship they have with our federation. Also, reciprocating the thought, Rich Bender, USA Wrestling’s Executive Director for the past 24 years, thanked them for being a difference maker for Team USA. He also has worked with them to have a reciprocating exchange in 2028 when the USA hosts the Olympic Games in LA 2028! USA Wrestling will host the French Wrestling Federation in LA prior to those games. It makes a lot of sense when you see and feel the appreciation that they have for the American people in Normandy!

Over and out!

Coach Steiner

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! As I stated yesterday, we have arrived and are now settled into Houlgate, France, at the “Centre Sportif de Normandie”. It is a beautiful, quaint village community in the Normandie region in the northwest of France. Obviously, this region has great meaning in world history. There is a special relationship between the USA and the French people.

This morning was a tough workout for the team. It was short in length and low in volume, but it was high in intensity. At this point in the training, we are looking for quality not quantity. We want to push them but not tax them, at this point we want to be fresh when we step on the mat. The energy and passion that we bring to the mat every day is most important. If we do not feel like getting on the mat, we should stay off it. Every time we step on the mat right now, we need Gold Medal Sessions. We need sessions where we are willing to give it everything both physically and mentally. We do not have to be perfect, but our effort and passion must be present. We must stay in the moment, appreciate the moment, and embrace it!

While my mind is on it, I want to make sure everyone knows the process of the international style and how they actually qualify for the Olympic Games.

A quick look at the Olympic Competition ahead, here is how the competition is populated.

There are 6 weight categories:

50kg (110 lbs.) / 53kg (116.6 lbs.) / 57kg (125.4 lbs.) / 62kg (136.4 lbs.) / 68kg (149.6 lbs.) / 76kg (167.2lbs)

There are 16 competitors at each weight:

September - 2023 Sr World Championships - top 5 athletes

Top 2 from each Continental Championship

March - 2024 Pan-Am Olympic Qualifying Event - top 2

March - 2024 Asian Olympic Qualifying Event - top 2

April - 2024 European Qualifying Event - top 2

April - 2024 African / Oceanic Qualifying Event - top 2

May - 2024 Last Chance World Qualifying Event - top 3

Once your country was qualified at a given weight category at an event they could not attend the following qualifying event.

Also, in the United States, you had to win the Olympic Team Trials. In most countries if you qualify the weight, you are the Olympian. In the USA it is conceivable that you qualified the weight and did not make the US Olympic Team! At 76kg, our beloved Adeline Gray qualified the weight at the 2023 World Championships but at our 2024 Olympic Trials Adeline was topped by one of our young phenoms, Kennedy Blades! The torch was passed!

International bracketing system is a bit different than the American bracket. The top 8 athletes at each weight are ranked and seeded into the bracket. If you lose before the semi-final, the athlete you lost to must make the final or you are out of the competition. If you lost, which we don’t plan on doing, and the athlete that beat you makes the final then you would wrestle the other people that they beat for 3rd place. There are 2 third places awarded in international competition. So, let’s say you were beaten in the semi-final, the person that the finalist beat in the 1st round (round of 16) would wrestle the person the finalist beat in the 2nd round (round of 8) and the winner of that match you would wrestle for 3rd place.

Richard Immel, USA Wrestling

Today has been a great first day of training in Normandy. We had a mat practice at 9 a.m. this morning. How we ran the practice was as follows, I ran the practice plan from a central clock, and I called out the situations that we were focusing on. The personal coaches were keeping a close eye on their specific athlete and the training partners were giving the Olympians the feel and situation that we were asking for during training. I thought all our Olympians looked really sharp today and we stayed injury free. The team is in really good spirits. I cannot emphasize enough how important the training partners are at this point. The presence they bring to the day and the energy they bring to the Olympic Team is so important.

After practice, many went into Houlgate and down by the beach to relax in the sun and get some fresh air. One of USA Wrestling’s sponsors “The Pritchard Company” sent bikes and E-scooters over Houlgate so that the delegation had easy, fun transportation for the week in Normandy.

This afternoon, Amit Elor got on the mat for her mat workout. Her competition times are different, she competes at 3:00 pm and 9:00 pm, so she did her workout at 3:00 pm today and will do a cardio workout tonight around 9:00 pm. The others are lifting / doing cardio and jumping in the sauna this afternoon. After Amit's workout I jumped into the sauna with some of our other athletes and coaches. Today was a good day!

This evening we will watch some of the Games on TV. It is interesting to watch an Olympic Games while you are in another country. You see the sports that the host country excels at, in France, Judo is a strong sport. The Judo competition is being held at the Champ de Mars Arena; the same arena that wrestling will be held starting August 5. It is nice to get a look at the arena in advance or our competition.

Bonne journee!

Coach Steiner

This morning started a little chaotic. Because we are leaving for Houlgate, France, in the region of Normandy, everyone had to move out of their rooms at the village so that other athletes can use them until we come back on August 4. The athletes were tasked to separate the things they needed for Normandy and the things they did not need. Remember they just received a bunch of Olympic Gear that they won’t need for training in Normandy. The stuff they needed was loaded on a bus and the other luggage was put into storage at the Olympic Village.

Once the athletes finished this process, we boarded the bus and drove to the Charles de Gaulle Airport to pick up the rest of the delegation, the “Team behind the TEAM,” all our support staff, medical staff, personal coaches and training partners. They all just arrived in Paris. Once we got to the airport, we needed to change buses and separate into 2 groups. So, our MFS Team, their personal coaches, training partners were loaded onto one bus and the WFS Team, their personal coaches, and training partners were loaded onto the other bus. Greco split 2 Olympians on the MFS bus and 2 Olympians on the WFS bus with their respective personal coaches, and training partners.

I cannot even start to tell you how important it is to have these mini teams for each athlete (Olympian / Personal Coach / Training Partner). You could literally feel the energy change in the group when we were joined by our entire delegation. It takes a village, having these teams provides our Olympians with a lot more than technique, skill, and guidance. These support teams are so important for the athlete mentally. They have a lot of stress on them leading into the games and having their support system around them during this time helps them stay centered and it helps them realize they are not in this alone. USA Wrestling would not have the success we have had without this team approach.

Then we had about a 3-hour bus ride to Houlgate. We were here last year for our acclimation camp prior to the World Championships. It is a quaint little community right on the beach. The training center sits about ½ mile from the beach, but it is the perfect place for us to come before the Olympic competition begins. It will allow our Mini Teams to zero in on the Olympians' needs.

During our second camp back in May each team was given a list of all the Olympians in their respective weight categories. Each Olympian will have 16 athletes in their weight class. The first 8 will be seeded according to last year's World Championships / Continental Championships / and 2 Ranking Events. The next 8 will be a blind draw into the bracket. All ranking points had to come from their specific weight class, so if they had points from another weight class they did not count. Anyways, we have scouting information with all their opponents matches over the last 4-8 years. As staff coaches, we also added our input and information on the scouting forms. The purpose is to make sure everyone is on the same page. When we are talking to the Olympian about their needs or about their opponents, I want us all to come together and unite in our message to the athlete. The worst thing we can do is spin the athletes' heads by telling them different things. As a coach, you must drop your ego and understand you don’t always have the right answer. This is why you surround yourself with strong minds with different perspectives, but it is imperative that you are all working in the same direction for the benefit of the athlete you are trying to help. The workout partner must know the opponents and understand their tendencies so they can give the Olympian the correct feel if we are focusing on strategy for a specific opponent.

The other thing that I feel is important is that as a coach you cannot always just focus on athlete weaknesses or better yet lesser strengths, but you also need to focus on the athlete’s strengths. They need to know what they are good at as well! They cannot forget what put them in this position. They need to know where their points are going to most likely come from. In tough situations 30 seconds left in the match and you need to score, what is your go-to attack or attacks?

So how much focus do you put on focusing on athletes or their opponents? This has been asked and this is a great question, and the answer is different for everyone. Some athletes don’t want to know about their opponents but that is unrealistic and potentially will lead you into battle with a blind spot. Just like you don’t go into a test in school and not know your material. But the thought of your opponent can be intimidating. So, if we haven’t got to that point yet with an athlete and helping them see the value of information then we tend to not talk names of opponents and just add certain drills into their preparation. Other athletes want to know every detail about their opponents, and we are very direct in that communication. There is not a right or a wrong way, everyone is different, and everyone processes information differently. You don’t want to overdo scouting either, we don’t want to get out on that mat and only be concerned about our opponents movements. Instead, we want to step on the mat and flow with our own wrestling but be aware of our opponents tendencies.

It is not an exact science but instead a mixture of art and science. You can get so caught up in the science of doing things, but you cannot forget you are working with humans that they are all different and come from different backgrounds and thoughts and therefore you must handle them differently but also keep a certain team standard.

Tonight, we arrived at Houlgate at about 4:15 pm. We had a meeting with the entire delegation to welcome them to the Center, introduce them to the administrators and the people that have been working hard to make sure they have everything they need to be successful in Paris in the next couple of weeks. Our National Team Director, Cody Bickely did a great job of laying out the expectations for the group over the next 10 days. He also laid out what he expected from all the support staff and made sure they understood that we are all here for the 16 Olympians, Period. Our mission is plain and simple and that is to prepare for success in Paris in 9 Days. Rich Bender, our executive director at USA Wrestling also said a few words of appreciation for our host committee and for all our support team that are helping prepare for Paris 2024.

We then met with the women's delegation and laid out the week and how it would look. I also reaffirmed what Cody said about being here for our Olympians. Then we showed everyone around the complex for those that were not with us in 2023. Most of the athletes did a light workout and sauna to get the trip out of their system. Tomorrow, we will have a team practice at 9 am.

Passe une bonne journée!

Coach Steiner

It was a great day, personally I had so many great interactions with friends from across the globe. I woke up early this morning and couldn’t sleep so I got dressed and went to the gym. I was working out next to the Samoan 🇼🇸 weightlifting coaches. What I love about this kind of setting is you get to see that there are many paths to success. People from different cultures have a different way of doing things. So many times as Americans we believe we have the only way but what you realize is that just because we have our way or ways of doing things doesn’t make it the best way or the only way. During our lift this morning there was a mutual respect for how we went about our business. You realize there are many ways to get the job done.

After the workout, I had breakfast with Kyle Snyder, what a special individual. Just watching him and his routines is easy to see why he has nine consecutive World / Olympic medals. He is a champion through and through.

After breakfast the ladies took some headshots with Kadir from United World Wrestling (our international federation), and they also took some team photos at the village with the Olympic Rings as a backdrop. They had a fun time doing it.

The rest of the day they got their lifts in, got some time in the sauna, and rested. Their bodies are starting to acclimate to the time zone. Usually, the 2nd or 3rd days are the toughest during the acclimation process. We are not only acclimating to the 8-hour time change but we are also acclimating to the altitude adjustment, and the heat and humidity differences. But then you also need to factor in the cultural differences which may not make any physiological adaptations but psychologically it matters. This is where the science of it all and the art of it crisscross. Every athlete or human being is different, and you have to take that into account when you are thinking of international travel. Now, this team of athletes are seasoned veterans when it comes to travel, so we do not have to think so hard, but when Coach Medina is taking our U15 or U17 teams on tours, it is the first time that a lot of them have left the country. So, then there's a lot more discussion about it. It is very hard for us to compete in Europe or Asia the first time if we have not traveled before. We tend to struggle with not only the time, altitude, heat and humidity differences but also the language, food, and different way of life. The distance from home matters. Having the home field advantage is real. For our major events we operate under the thought process that it takes 1 day per time zone change to fully acclimate. For you and me as travelers it may not matter so much but for an elite athlete that is trying to be at their best the day of competition you must look at it

The athletes were basically locked into the village at 1 pm today to get prepared, and so that they could have tighter security around the Olympic Delegation during opening ceremonies. They all needed to be dressed and ready at 5 pm and they departed about 6 pm for opening ceremonies. It was expected to be about an 8-hour event when all was said and done. But it is the Olympic Games, and if it did not affect their performance days wanted to be a part of this process. For wrestling, it worked out because we are at the end of the games, so we had a lot of time to recover from the long day.

Tomorrow, our individual teams, our personal coaches and workout partners arrive in France. We will depart the village, pick them all up at the airport in 2 buses and then make the 3-hour trek to Houlgate, France, in the region of Normandy for our acclimation camp. We will be in Normandy for roughly a week. We come back to Paris in waves. The first group will depart Houlgate to Paris on August 2 and the second group will depart on August 5. It has been a great first few days in the village and in Paris but now we are getting away from the distractions that Paris and the Olympic Village have, and going to Houlgate which is a small village on the coast that is very quiet and a place where the athletes can reset, recenter, and ready themselves for the task being the best version of themselves during competition.

Au revoir et bonne nuit,

Coach Steiner

Today was another busy day in France. I started my day by grabbing a cup of coffee right outside our village apartment. There are a few Grab & Go stations around the village. You can order coffee of your choice and my favorite a chocolate croissant or other bakery items and walk away. Everything is free inside the village. All food items, water, coffee, tea, etc.… is free of charge for any Olympic Delegation Member that has access inside of the village. We also have free laundry service. You drop it off before 10:00 a.m. and you can pick it up after 6 p.m.. There are free bikes you can grab and ride throughout the village as well. It is all about customer experience. The Host Committee puts in a lot of work to make the Olympic Experience something that will last in our memories for a lifetime. It is truly special to be a part of it, I feel very humbled and blessed to have this experience again. I am grateful and am filled with gratitude to be here.

After breakfast and walking around the village all three disciplines got on a bus and traveled about 25 minutes to the USA workout facility that has been set up by USA Wrestling and the USOPC, you saw pictures yesterday. The athletes had another day on the mat to do what their bodies felt like doing. They had an individual workout where they could decide on how much and what they needed. At this point in the training, it is my philosophy that the athletes know what they need. We are here to help if they need direction but most of them have been through this process before. Sometimes as a coach, I feel I need to step back and stay out of their way. I believe it is a lot like parenting, as our children grow older, they should be more a part of the process. They need to be able to function on their own more and more as they get older. From coaches they should need us less rather than more. I believe it is our job to empower them and not control them. I want them to be able to stand on their own two feet and function. They need to have the confidence in themselves to make decisions and operate because on the mat and in life, the task will be on their shoulders. If we don’t let them start to make decisions in practice or in everyday life then how can we expect them to make the right decisions in tough situations?

Sarah Hildebrandt trained with Kayla Miracle, Dominique Parrish trained with Helen Maroulis, and I had the privilege and opportunity to train with Kennedy Blades. Amit Elor stayed off the mat today. It was great for me to be able to go with Kennedy because I just have not had that much time with her and feeling her wrestling. I have watched a lot of video and tape, but it is a lot more meaningful, maybe just for me, when we can get on the mat and feel their movements. I can tell you what you already know, she is a special athlete. Kennedy brings a lot to the table.

A funny story, we were at one of the Olympic camps in 2021 in Atlanta. Kennedy in 2021 was the Olympic alternate behind Adeline Gray. She had already won a U20 World title but had little to no experience on the Sr. Level, so I was not around her a lot. Coach Jessica Medina Bunker, our WFS Development Coach, was at camp and before one of the sessions Kennedy asked Coach Jess how old I was? Coach Jess, replied back to Kennedy “how old do you think he is? Kennedy responded “I don’t know, 78? Coach Jess started laughing and of course the team laughed but I guess to an 18-year-old anyone over 30 has one foot in the grave.

After, the workout today, we came back to the village to get ready for their media day. Only two athletes per style were selected. So, our representatives were, Sarah Hildebrandt, Helen Maroulis, Kyle Dake, Kyle Snyder, Adam Coon and Kamal Bey. They did such an unbelievable job. I wish everyone could have heard their responses to the media's questions. It was a pleasure to sit and listen to them. They showed so much maturity in their thought processes. America should be very proud of the kinds of answers they gave. They stressed having gratitude for what they have the opportunity of doing, focusing on the process of winning and staying in the moment. They know what is at stake, but they are so at peace with themselves. Winning is the byproduct of an outstanding process. Making the right decisions in their lives day after day, year after year. The true riches of this sport is the development of the human being. Every parent in America should have the opportunity to listen to what they talked about and how struggles and strive for perfection has built them into very solid human beings.

I have been around these athletes for a long time and have watched them grow up. I couldn't be more proud of how they responded today. To the parents of our Olympians, thank you and congratulations on a job well done. They have already won!

This evening everyone did their own thing, some toured Paris, others got a workout and sauna in. Tomorrow it all begins with Opening Ceremonies! Paris 2024 is here!

The schedule for tomorrow is as follows:

Friday - July 26, 2024 - Opening Ceremonies Today!

• 9:00 am - 11:00 am - Workout @ Village (cross training)

• 11:00 am - Team Photo in the USA Apartment Atrium in the Village (your light blue USA Warm-ups - top and bottom)

• 11:00 am - Headshots for UWW w/ Kadir

• 1:00 pm (ish) - Village Lockdown

• 5:00 pm - Athletes be ready and Dressed for Opening Ceremonies (be prepared for an - 6-8 Hour Event)

• Workout Partners / Personal Coaches Depart for France

Enjoy your Day!

Coach Steiner

Today I would like to spend some time mentioning and thanking the “team behind the team.” As the old saying goes, “it takes a village,” and there is nothing truer than this. Of course, the Olympians are the talent, they deserve all the credit. The rest of us are here to empower, support, guide, and direct! We are here to help ensure they have the resources and environment around them that is conducive to success. No matter what the day is like, or no matter what has happened in the last few days, we need to make sure that the focus stays in the present moment. One of the things that foreign coaches have talked to me about is the energy, life and fight that the American Team brings to the event. They are envious of the American Spirit.

There are so many people to think about and mention and I know that I will forget many, but I would like to name a few that are around the national team and the Olympic Effort!

USA Wrestling Staff

Rich Bender – Executive Director

Cody Bickley – Mgr - National Teams High Performance

Jaimie McNab – National Teams Operations Manager

Gary Abbott – Director of Communications

Richard Immel – Sr. Manager of Communications

SJ Asmann – Communications Coordinator

Team Leaders

Steve Silver / Jeff Levitetz

2022-2024 Paris Quad WFS Team Leader

WFS Program Development Team Leaders

Steve / Wendy Capoferri

Bryan / Heather Zeamer

Jeff Waters

WFS Resident Program / EAP Leader

Kiki Kelley

WFS Program Ambassadors

Dave Lehman

The Martori Family

MatPac Wrestling Club

The Andy Barth Family

Medical Staff

Shelby Hoppis

WFS Volunteer ATC

ATC Kutztown University – PA

Andrew Ernst

USOPC ATC assigned to Wrestling – CO

Dr. Jeremy Frank

Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon – Fort Lauderdale, FL

Amy Murry

USOPC Volunteer Massage Therapist assigned to Wrestling

Dr. Sam Nelson

Chiropractor – CO

USOPC Staff - Team V

Ron Brant – USOPC Team V Director for Acrobat and Combat Sports

Meredith Miller – USOPC Olympic Performance Advisor

Nuwanee Tamaki – USOPC Dietitian

Karen Kogan – USOPC Sport Psychologist

USA Wrestling WFS Coaching Staff

Katie Kriebel (Downing)

USAW WFS Assistant National Team Coach

2005, 2007 World Bronze Medalist

Jessica Medina Bunker

USA Wrestling WFS Development Coach

2 x World Team Member

Coach of 2021 U17 and U20 World Championship Teams

Finally, we have the mini teams of each of our Olympians. These are the training partners that each athlete picked, their personal coaches, and their Club Sponsor. I cannot begin to tell you the time, energy, and resources that these mini teams have put into the Olympians preparation. It is the technical support, but it is also the mental, emotional, and financial support, there is so much that goes into preparing these athletes to be ready for the elite level. USA Wrestling is grateful for all of them and their commitment to excellence.

Team Sarah Hildebrandt

Workout Partner – Drew Hildebrandt

Personal Coach – Vladizlav Izboinikov

Club Affiliation – New York Athletic Club - NYAC

Team Dominique Parrish

Workout Partner – Katie Gomez

Personal Coach – Nate Engel

Club Affiliation – Sunkist Kids

Team Helen Maroulis

Workout Partner – Kyler Larkin

Personal Coach – Angel Cejudo

Club Affiliation – Sunkist Kids

Team Kayla Miracle

Workout Partner – Amanda Martinez

Personal Coach – Lee Pritts

Club Affiliation – Sunkist Kids

Team Amit Elor

Workout Partner – Macey Kilty

Personal Coach – Sarah McMann

Club Affiliation – Titan Mercury Wrestling Club - TMWC

Team Kennedy Blades

Workout Partner – Reese Larramendy

Personal Coach – Israel Martinez

Club Affiliation – Sunkist Kids

Today, in Paris, it was an action-packed day! We left the village at about 8:30 this morning for the USA training facility. At this facility, we have two mats, saunas, and indoor and outdoor pool, cardio equipment, and weights. We have basically taken over a fitness center and made it our own. After our workout, we headed to the Team USA Welcome Experience (TUWE). At TUWE, we had lunch with our own cooks and chefs from the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. TUWE is the location of the U.S. High Performance Center and the location where all USA Olympic Delegation Members were fitted and given Olympic Gear from the USOPC Sponsors: Nike and Ralph Lauren. It took the athletes about three hours to get through all their processing.

We arrived at TUWE at the right time. Shortly after we arrived Snoop Dog made his appearance and had lunch with everyone. He was very kind, gracious and made time for everyone. He was definitely a hit with everyone. He has a love for people and also a love of sport. We all enjoyed his presence!

Tonight, the athletes will probably get a light cardio and sauna session in and rest. Tomorrow's tentative schedule is as follows:

Thursday - July 25, 2024

- 8:15 am - Meet in Atrium in the Village Apartment building

- 8:30 am - Depart Village to Training Facility

- 9:00 am - 11:00 am - Mat Workout

- 11:00 am - Depart Workout Facility to Village

- 1:00 pm - Depart Village for Main Press Center (Hildebrandt / Maroulis)

- 2:00 pm - Press Conference - Main Press Center (MPC) (Hildebrandt / Maroulis)

- 3:00 pm (ish) - Depart MPC for Olympic Village

Until tomorrow,

Coach Steiner

We arrived in Paris! We are getting settled into the Olympic Village. It is pretty exciting seeing the world gathered in a relatively small place like the Olympic Village and everyone coinciding with no turmoil. Our world has been a tense place lately, so it is nice change. The Olympic Games are so much more than 14 days of competition. It is 14 days of people coming together and celebrating each other. There is a common respect among all that take part.

It seems that for so long “The Olympic Games” is the dream that everyone is chasing and aspiring to be a part of. Today, it became reality. The Olympic Village is a special place, where you see thousands of athletes, coaches and support staff all relishing in this journey of chasing Olympic Greatness. It is fascinating to see all of these Olympians in one location. Just normal everyday people with extraordinary habits that have allowed them to achieve success at a very high level.

5 of our 6 WFS athletes made it in today. All of MFS and Greco made it to France today. There were many delays and flight changes because of the worldwide software glitch. Most of the entire Team USA delegation have arrived yesterday or today or are still arriving tomorrow. Most will take part in the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony on Friday.

Everyone is pretty tired; it will be a busy few days. It is important for everyone to get on a schedule in the new time zone. Fresh air, daylight, and moderate exercise will help a lot in getting our bodies back on track. Today after we arrived, we unpacked and toured the village with USOPC Employees and got a general lay of the land. Then we had a 45’ zoom call so that the USOPC Staff could lay out all the particulars for the athletes.

Tomorrow, we will have the start of our acclimation. We will get on the mat in the morning at a fitness facility that USA Wrestling has taken over so that we have training mats, a weight room, cardio equipment and sauna. Then we will go through the processing and receive our Olympic Gear. I have a few pictures I will leave you with of the USA Apartment in the Olympic Village!

Sincerely,

Coach Steiner

Paris 2024, here we come! During the course of the next 3 weeks, I am going to try and give you a behind the scenes look at this Olympic Journey with this special group of athletes. Team USA Women’s Freestyle (WFS) is ready for the challenge ahead. We, the 6 Olympic Team Members and I depart today for Paris ahead of the rest of the delegation. Also, Traveling today is the Men’s Freestyle Team (MFS) and The Greco-Roman Team and their respective coaches. The rest of the delegation departs on July 26th.

Before we get going let's talk about the 2024 USA Olympic Wrestling Team.

https://www.themat.com/team-usa/national-team

Women’s Freestyle

50kg - Sarah Hildebrandt

53kg - Dominique Parrish

57kg - Helen Maroulis

62kg - Kayla Miracle

68kg - Amit Elor

76kg - Kennedy Blades

Men’s Freestyle

57kg - Spencer Lee

65kg - Zain Retherford

74kg - Kyle Dake

86kg - Aaron Brooks

97kg - Kyle Snyder

125kg - Mason Parris

Greco-Roman

77kg - Kamal Bey

87kg - Payton Jacobson

97kg - Josef Rau

130kg - Adam Coon

We are 14 days out from the start of the Women’s Freestyle Wrestling Competition. This Olympic Games has a little bit more significance as it has been 20 years since Women’s Freestyle Wrestling was introduced to the Olympic Games. Athens 2004 was the first time in Olympic history that women wrestled on the Olympic Mats. We will touch on this in the coming days.

Today, we are departing for Paris and what would a trip be without some changes to our travel. Originally, we were going to be flying from Denver to LA and then from LA to Paris on DELTA Airlines, but our flights were changed to a direct Denver to Paris route on Air France. We arrive on Tuesday, July 23 for a few days of processing, receiving Olympic Gear, Media, and the Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies on July 26th. The excitement is running high. I think everyone is focused and ready for the opportunities ahead.

Until Tomorrow! Have a wonderful day!

Sincerely,

Coach Steiner