FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
It’s 11 p.m. on Friday night, and I’m sitting in my bed after what seems like a month away from home. In reality I have been gone for only a week. I’m currently in Yakutsk, Russia, with several other U.S. wrestlers, and we just finished a dual meet against a local Yakutian team.
Traveling to Yakutsk may be the hardest traveling a wrestler will ever have to do. Yakutsk is 14 time zones away from the U.S. east coast, and it takes almost 18 hours of flying time to get here. I started out my trip in the Detroit airport with Chase Pami and Tyrel Todd at 7:30 p.m. last Friday, and we did not get into Yakutsk until Monday around 11am. I think it is better to just fly straight through and suck it up with two back-to-back overnight flights, but this year we spent a layover night in Moscow.
When we arrived in Yakutsk, we headed straight to the dorms to check in and get a little rest before the evening practice. The first practice is always the hardest, and this one definitely was not easy. But the guys on the team did a great job, and none of them complained about it. I know how it is to come this far and compete as an athlete; I wrestled here three times in my career. It’s a little different this year since we had a training camp and dual before the tournament, so that’s why I am glad the guys had a good attitude and focused on being positive right from the get go.
Tuesday was still a little rough for me and the guys, but having two practices that day helped distract us from the travel and how tired we all were. Wednesday, like every Wednesday in Russia, we did not practice on the mat. Instead we went about 15 minutes outside the city to jog in a field and do some drills on our feet. The guys really liked this, and it helped to rest their bodies after all the travel and training. In the afternoon they took us around the city and showed us two museums in the city. The first was dedicated to all the mining that the city is known for and the second was dedicated to the heritage of the Yakutian people. I have been to the mining museum before, and I had forgot how many natural resources this city has, like gold, silver, diamonds and many unique quartz. Thursday was a light day since we had the dual meet scheduled for today.
Unlike the last time I was here, the dual was not wrestled in Yakutsk. We drove a little more than an hour away to a small village for the match. We did this to help promote wrestling in that particular village. I loved it, and I think the guys on the team felt the same way. We were treated great, and the whole afternoon was a showcase for them. They took us to a nice lunch with a member of the Russia Parliament. When the match started they had traditional dancing, a religious ceremony, a girl who sang an unbelievable version of the Beatles’ Oh! Darling and speeches from some local VIPs.
The dual meet was not a typical dual meet since we did not have a 60kg, 74kg or 120kg wrestler. Instead we did have three 66kg, three 84kg, and I wrestled 120kg for us. For most of the guys this was their first time competing in a long time, and it gave them a benchmark as to where they are physically, technically, and tactically. I think for the most part the team did a great job, and for the wrestlers who did not compete like they are capable, it was good to know where they are at so we can spend the next week fine-tuning the skills it will take to win the tournament. The tournament is going to be very tough. Turkey is here, Iran is on their way, and at 60kg, Velikov from Bulgaria is here. I am sure there will be a lot of top Russian to compete against as well. I am excited to see exactly where the guys are and help them start their season off right before sending them home with some good tips to improve from now until the next tournament.
This is going to be my first full season as a coach, and I am really excited about it. I think I have been doing a good job, and from the way Tyrel wrestled today, I think he is improving a lot. We have been working on a lot of technique so it will be interesting to see how he responds to it and applies it to real-match situations. Tyrel is an amazing athlete, and he is physically a strong wrestler, so I know he will be able to handle it. I expect great things from him this year. I believe in the way I am training him, and I know he believes in it as will. Confidence is a huge part of our sport, and if the athlete and coach can be on the same page, then great things can happen.
Zeke gets in on Sunday and will be with us as we make our final preparations for the tournament. He will continue on with almost all of the guys to the next tournament in Grozy as well.
Dual Results:
55kg – Frank Perrelli lost 6-0, 3-0
66kg – Chase Pami lost 1-0 , 0-1 (two clinches)
66kg – Kevin LeValley won 1-0, 4-3
66kg – Adam Hall won 1-0, 1-0
84kg – Keith Gavin lost 0-3 0-1
84kg – Max Askren won 7-1, Fall second period
84kg – Tyrel Todd won 0-1, 4-0, 6-0
96kg – Les Sigman lost 0-1, 0-3
120kg – Andy Hrovat lost 0-1(clinch), 0-1
* U.S. lost the match, 4-5
I did not think I would ever compete again, but it was fun to wrestle in this dual. I tried to tell the guys not to let it come down to the last match, but unfortunately for me, I lost and then the team lost the match. To make it worse I heard the announcer say during the match that it was tied 4-4 and whoever won the match won the dual. I had to wrestle a giant of a heavyweight, but the local sports committee has done a lot to bring us out here, and it was the least I could do to help them put on a good show. This was the fourth weight class I have wrestled in international competition. But I don’t want anyone holding their breath for my return to training.
Andy