Henry Cejudo focused on striking gold at 2007 World Championships

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - It's been another memorable season for freestyle wrestler Henry Cejudo.

He placed in a number of tournaments overseas, he won his second straight U.S. Nationals title, he landed a spot on his first U.S. World Team and he won a gold medal recently at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

He was the subject of a four-page feature in Sports Illustrated. He also has been profiled in the Los Angeles Times and in the Arizona Republic, and did interviews in Spanish and English on ESPN Deportes after winning the Pan American Games.

But the season won't be complete for the 20-year-old Cejudo - believed to be the youngest U.S. World Team member in freestyle since 1979 - if he doesn't win a medal at the World Championships next month in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), a resident-athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, sat down for an interview with TheMat.com's Craig Sesker on a festive day at the OTC on Aug. 8. That marked the One-Year Out date to the start of the next Olympic Games on Aug. 8, 2008 in Beijing, China.

How much of a boost did winning the Pan American Games provide for you?

It was the first major tournament I've won on the international level, so it felt really good. Knowing you are the best in the Americas and the best on this side of the World, it gives me a lot of confidence going into the World Championships.

You just started the first of two August World Team Camps in Colorado Springs. How excited are you about competing in your first World Championships?

I'm really excited, I can't wait. A lot of the great American wrestlers won a World title the first time they competed in the World Championships, and that's what I'm planning on doing. I know I can do it, I just have to wrestle hard and keep working.

You've lost to 2006 World champion Radoslav Velikov of Bulgaria and 2006 World silver medalist Besik Kudukhov of Russia this year. What did you learn from those matches and what do you need to improve on the next time you meet those guys?

I just have to keep wrestling hard and keep the pressure on them the whole time. I need to make them wrestle hard the whole six minutes and wear them down and get them tired.

Being one year away from the Olympics, how much have you thought about Beijing?

It's truly exciting to think about. It's 8-8-07 and the Olympics start on 8-8-08. It's been my dream to wrestle in the Olympics since I was 12 years old. I'm really focused on getting to the Olympics and it's exciting to think about wrestling in an event like that.

2000 Olympic silver medalist Sammie Henson and 2004 Olympic silver medalist Stephen Abas may be back in your weight class at next year's Olympic Trials in Las Vegas. What are your thoughts on the possible return of those wrestlers?

I would love to see those guys in my weight class and I would love to wrestle both of them. I'm a competitor and I like to wrestle the best and beat the best. If I beat both of those guys, I know I can win that gold medal at the Olympics. Bring them on.

You lost your only meeting to Henson in the finals of the 2006 U.S. World Team Trials in Sioux City, Iowa. How much motivation does that give you?

Sammie's a great wrestler - he's obviously proven that in the Olympics and the World Championships. I know Sammie will be back for sure next year and it will be a great test for me if we meet again.

How much have you improved in the last year, where you've gained significant experience competing overseas?

I've improved a lot. I've learned so much more about strategy. I've improved technically and I'm stronger physically now. And I'm still getting better. I'm always looking for ways to improve.

You've received your share of attention with the national news media. How have you handled it and how have you stayed grounded?

It's great for the sport and great for wrestling. It's cool that people can learn a little more about our sport by reading about me. Being in Sports Illustrated, that was huge for wrestling. Nothing's changed for me. I'm still training hard and my head's not big.

How much has your coach, USA Wrestling Resident Coach Terry Brands, helped keep you level-headed with all the attention you've received?

Terry brings me back down to earth. He reminds me that I'm not a World champ yet and he helps keep everything in perspective for me.

How important has Brands, a two-time World champion and Olympic bronze medalist, been in your development as a wrestler and a person?

Terry's been great. He's a great coach and we've become really close. I'm actually helping babysit Terry's kids tonight, so he and his wife can go watch a movie. So I guess he does trust me. He's a tough, hard-nosed coach, but he's a great guy and a great person once you get to know him. He just wants the best for me and wants the best for our country. He wants to beat those Russians.

What do you hope to accomplish during these World Team Camps?

We're working on everything. We have great coaches with Terry, (USA Wrestling National Coach) Kevin Jackson and the other World Team coaches teaching us and helping prepare us for the Worlds. I know they will have us ready when we step on the mat next month for the World Championships.

Kevin Jackson called you the "future of wrestling." Is that something you've embraced?

Yes, I have embraced it. Hey, I'm young, I'm hungry and I want to win a World title and win an Olympic gold medal.

You went through a rough childhood where your family moved around a lot and your mother worked numerous jobs to support you and your five siblings. Going through some of those tough times, how has that shaped you as a person?

Being a wrestler is hard - the practices, making weight and everything - but it's easy compared to what I went through growing up. When you're a kid it sucks, going through some of what we did, but we still found a way to have fun and get through it. I played a lot of sports growing up and that helped. That was always a lot of fun.

How proud is your mother of what you're doing?

Every time I see my mom she runs right up and hugs me and tells me how proud she is of me. She will cook up a big dinner for me when I come home. She always told me that if you're going to do something, be the best at it. Don't cry and feel sorry for yourself, just go do it. Obviously, we had to sacrifice a lot growing up. And then I moved away from her and came to Colorado for my last two years of high school - that was tough being away from her. I missed her. But she understands that was what was best for me and she supported me the whole way. That helped, knowing I had her support.

What wrestlers have you studied and learned from?

I've watched a lot of old tape of wrestlers. Guys like Zeke Jones, John Smith, Nate Carr, Terry and Tom Brands. I've probably studied the Brands twins the most. Those guys were so tough and they didn't go easy on anybody. I've learned a lot from watching them.

What would it mean to win a World title at an age where most wrestlers are still trying to break into the starting lineup in college?

It would mean the world to me. I know I can do it.

Wrestling in college, is that still a possibility for you?

No, it's not. I want a World title and an Olympic title. I'm right there with the best guys in the World. Wrestling in college isn't going to help me get there.

Do you plan to start taking college courses?

I want to do that at some point and I want to get my college degree. I'm focused on wrestling full-time through 2008 and I don't want any distractions. After 2008, I hope to start taking some classes.

What do you do to unwind and relax when you're not on the mat?

I like to just chill out on the couch and watch a movie and relax. I like to read. I like watching soccer and boxing. I had a chance to watch some of the soccer on TV when we were down in Brazil at the Pan Am Games. It's a sport I liked to play growing up and I still enjoy watching it.