Zadick, Cejudo receive draws as Olympic Games freestyle competition set to start
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by Craig Sesker
BEIJING, China - A couple of days ago, Mike Zadick wasn't even sure he was going to be an Olympian.
Now he stands just four wins away from his lifelong dream of winning an Olympic gold medal.
Added to the field late Sunday afternoon as a replacement for an injured wrestler from Bulgaria, Zadick (Solon, Iowa) and American teammate Henry Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo.) are set to begin their Olympic quests after making weight on Monday afternoon.
Zadick will battle Ukraine's Vasyl Fedoryshyn on Tuesday morning in the first round of the Olympics at 60 kg/132 lbs. Fedoryshyn placed fourth in the 2004 Olympics, fifth in the 2006 World Championships and won the 2008 European Championships. If Zadick wins that match, he will face either Albania's Sahit Prizreni or Kyrgyzstan's Bazar Bazarguruev in the second round. Both those wrestlers won bronze medals at the 2007 World Championships.
Zadick lost to the Ukrainian in an event in Russia in December of 2007. He fell to Prizreni in the first round of the 2007 World Championships. But none of that matters now for Zadick, who won a silver medal at the 2006 World Championships.
"Without a doubt, Mike's getting a great opportunity to wrestle in the Olympics," U.S. National Coach Kevin Jackson said. "He's in it now and we need to be ready to go. Mike lost to the guy from Ukraine last year and it wasn't one of his best matches. We know Mike is definitely capable of beating him."
The 60 kilo class is one of the toughest in the Olympics. Zadick is on the top side of the bracket while Olympic champions Mavlet Batirov of Russia and Yandro Quintana of Cuba, along with World champion Seyed Mohammadi of Iran, are each on the bottom side of the bracket. Zadick beat Batirov in the semifinals of the 2006 Worlds before falling to Mohammadi in the finals.
Cejudo will face 2006 World champion Radoslav Velikov of Bulgaria in his first match at 55 kg/121 lbs. The winner of that match would meet either Besarion Gochashvili of Georgia or Petru Toarca of Romania. The 21-year-old Cejudo lost in the first round of the 2007 World Championships.
"Velikov is a World champion and Henry can't give this guy room to breathe," Jackson said. "He has to wrestle hard and wrestle smart, and bring all his skills. If he does that, I think we will win this match.
Now he stands just four wins away from his lifelong dream of winning an Olympic gold medal.
Added to the field late Sunday afternoon as a replacement for an injured wrestler from Bulgaria, Zadick (Solon, Iowa) and American teammate Henry Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo.) are set to begin their Olympic quests after making weight on Monday afternoon.
Zadick will battle Ukraine's Vasyl Fedoryshyn on Tuesday morning in the first round of the Olympics at 60 kg/132 lbs. Fedoryshyn placed fourth in the 2004 Olympics, fifth in the 2006 World Championships and won the 2008 European Championships. If Zadick wins that match, he will face either Albania's Sahit Prizreni or Kyrgyzstan's Bazar Bazarguruev in the second round. Both those wrestlers won bronze medals at the 2007 World Championships.
Zadick lost to the Ukrainian in an event in Russia in December of 2007. He fell to Prizreni in the first round of the 2007 World Championships. But none of that matters now for Zadick, who won a silver medal at the 2006 World Championships.
"Without a doubt, Mike's getting a great opportunity to wrestle in the Olympics," U.S. National Coach Kevin Jackson said. "He's in it now and we need to be ready to go. Mike lost to the guy from Ukraine last year and it wasn't one of his best matches. We know Mike is definitely capable of beating him."
The 60 kilo class is one of the toughest in the Olympics. Zadick is on the top side of the bracket while Olympic champions Mavlet Batirov of Russia and Yandro Quintana of Cuba, along with World champion Seyed Mohammadi of Iran, are each on the bottom side of the bracket. Zadick beat Batirov in the semifinals of the 2006 Worlds before falling to Mohammadi in the finals.
Cejudo will face 2006 World champion Radoslav Velikov of Bulgaria in his first match at 55 kg/121 lbs. The winner of that match would meet either Besarion Gochashvili of Georgia or Petru Toarca of Romania. The 21-year-old Cejudo lost in the first round of the 2007 World Championships.
"Velikov is a World champion and Henry can't give this guy room to breathe," Jackson said. "He has to wrestle hard and wrestle smart, and bring all his skills. If he does that, I think we will win this match.
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