Hrovat, U.S. freestyle team ready to make big statement at Olympic Games
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by Craig Sesker
In the photo: Andy Hrovat (in red) grabs a single leg during Friday morning's practice. Photo by Gary Abbott.
BEIJING, China - The United States is not projected to win a lot of freestyle medals at the 2008 Olympic Games.
Sports Illustrated has the U.S. winning just two medals - both bronze - among the six American freestyle wrestlers who will compete in Beijing on Aug. 19-21.
Andy Hrovat and his American teammates are determined to prove all their detractors wrong when they take the mat here.
The U.S. placed third in the team race at the 2006 World Championships and were in the mix to win the team title. The U.S. dropped to fourth place last year. Five Americans placed in the top five, but Daniel Cormier's bronze was the only medal the U.S. won.
"Everyone on this team is capable of medaling," Hrovat said. "Most people want to write the U.S. freestyle team off, but most people don't realize what we've been doing. Last year wasn't the best World Championships, but we still had five guys place in the top five. We were close to being team champs two years ago. Our team has a lot of confidence. We're ready to go."
Russia decimated the field at the 2007 World Championships, winning six gold medals and one bronze.
"All the pressure is on Russia because everyone expects them to dominate again," Hrovat said. "We're just going to go out there and try to surprise them. We're not going to back down from anybody."
Hrovat made the 2006 World Team, but did not place at the World Championships at 84 kg/185 lbs.
"I didn't wrestle the way I wanted to," he said. "The loss motivates me to know I can't make those mistakes again. I need to go out there and scrap. I always have that one match where I give up points at the end or where I shut down. I just need to keep wrestling hard the whole time and not let up."
Hrovat won a tough Olympic Trials finals series over Mo Lawal to land a spot in Beijing.
"The key for Andy is to compete like he did at the Trials," U.S. National Coach Kevin Jackson said. "We added another layer of conditioning on him that he didn't have. His confidence has grown from beating Mo Lawal at the Trials. He's wrestled the top Russians and he's seen everybody in the World. He just has to take it to the next level and wrestle like he's capable of wrestling. We're real excited for him. He's confident he's going to do real well and we're confident he can do real well."
He said he's seen a number of Olympians from other sports, including NBA stars Manu Ginobli of the San Antonio Spurs and Andrei Kirilenko of the Utah Jazz, since the freestyle team landed in Beijing on Thursday.
"It's great being in this kind of atmosphere with all the top athletes from the other sports," Hrovat said. "It's exciting to finally be here. Seeing big-name athletes you see on TV is pretty cool."
The colorful Hrovat, aka Silent H, will walk with his teammmates at the Opening Ceremonies on Friday night.
"I don't have anything planned for tonight," he said with a laugh. "I'm going to shock everybody by being a clean-cut, handsome American man. You got to look good for TV. I'm excited to take part in the Opening Ceremonies. Just being with the whole U.S. delegation and representing the whole country will be a great feeling.
BEIJING, China - The United States is not projected to win a lot of freestyle medals at the 2008 Olympic Games.
Sports Illustrated has the U.S. winning just two medals - both bronze - among the six American freestyle wrestlers who will compete in Beijing on Aug. 19-21.
Andy Hrovat and his American teammates are determined to prove all their detractors wrong when they take the mat here.
The U.S. placed third in the team race at the 2006 World Championships and were in the mix to win the team title. The U.S. dropped to fourth place last year. Five Americans placed in the top five, but Daniel Cormier's bronze was the only medal the U.S. won.
"Everyone on this team is capable of medaling," Hrovat said. "Most people want to write the U.S. freestyle team off, but most people don't realize what we've been doing. Last year wasn't the best World Championships, but we still had five guys place in the top five. We were close to being team champs two years ago. Our team has a lot of confidence. We're ready to go."
Russia decimated the field at the 2007 World Championships, winning six gold medals and one bronze.
"All the pressure is on Russia because everyone expects them to dominate again," Hrovat said. "We're just going to go out there and try to surprise them. We're not going to back down from anybody."
Hrovat made the 2006 World Team, but did not place at the World Championships at 84 kg/185 lbs.
"I didn't wrestle the way I wanted to," he said. "The loss motivates me to know I can't make those mistakes again. I need to go out there and scrap. I always have that one match where I give up points at the end or where I shut down. I just need to keep wrestling hard the whole time and not let up."
Hrovat won a tough Olympic Trials finals series over Mo Lawal to land a spot in Beijing.
"The key for Andy is to compete like he did at the Trials," U.S. National Coach Kevin Jackson said. "We added another layer of conditioning on him that he didn't have. His confidence has grown from beating Mo Lawal at the Trials. He's wrestled the top Russians and he's seen everybody in the World. He just has to take it to the next level and wrestle like he's capable of wrestling. We're real excited for him. He's confident he's going to do real well and we're confident he can do real well."
He said he's seen a number of Olympians from other sports, including NBA stars Manu Ginobli of the San Antonio Spurs and Andrei Kirilenko of the Utah Jazz, since the freestyle team landed in Beijing on Thursday.
"It's great being in this kind of atmosphere with all the top athletes from the other sports," Hrovat said. "It's exciting to finally be here. Seeing big-name athletes you see on TV is pretty cool."
The colorful Hrovat, aka Silent H, will walk with his teammmates at the Opening Ceremonies on Friday night.
"I don't have anything planned for tonight," he said with a laugh. "I'm going to shock everybody by being a clean-cut, handsome American man. You got to look good for TV. I'm excited to take part in the Opening Ceremonies. Just being with the whole U.S. delegation and representing the whole country will be a great feeling.
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