U.S. freestyle team bonds, builds chemistry during Olympic training camp

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Daniel Cormier is the only World-level medalist among the six members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in freestyle wrestling.

But Cormier firmly believes that number is about to change.

He's even more convinced after the U.S. Olympic freestyle team concluded a 10-day training camp last week in Phoenix.

"We had a great camp," Cormier said. "This is a very good team. Every guy on our team can win an Olympic medal - I think every guy can win. It may be a blessing in disguise that some of these guys haven't been around that long. These young guys are really hungry and really competitive. We are going to surprise some people at the Olympics."

The six-man American squad - which consists of Cormier, Henry Cejudo, Doug Schwab, Ben Askren, Andy Hrovat and Steve Mocco - is set to open its second and final training camp on Thursday at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

The second camp is scheduled to run through July 31. The U.S. team is scheduled to arrive in Beijing, China, on Aug. 7. The Olympic freestyle competition is set for Aug. 19-21.

"Overall, the first camp was a success," U.S. National Coach Kevin Jackson said. "We are real excited about the way guys came in and trained, and the focus they had. Our No. 1 goal was to rebuild our base conditioning. We also wanted to identify individual areas of concentration with the goal being that they understand what their gold-medal scoring action is going to be. We worked on our par terre offense and defense, our clinch offense and defense, and worked on our must-win situations. It was a very good camp."

Cormier, 29, is the veteran on the U.S. freestyle squad. He has made the last six World-level teams. He won a bronze medal at the 2007 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. Cormier placed fourth at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. He was fifth at the 2003 World Championships.

The first U.S. training camp for freestyle took place July 3-12 in Phoenix. The team trained at Arizona State University. Among the workouts was a tough conditioning session up a hill in Arizona. That workout included a number of grueling sprints up the incline there.

"I thought it was the best camp I had ever been to in terms of structure and everybody pushing each other," Hrovat said. "The workout partners really pushed us hard. It was a high volume type of camp where we really got our conditioning built up. We ran the hill and we also did a speed training workout. We had some great individual workouts."

In addition to training, the team also spent a night eating and playing games together at Dave and Buster's restaurant. The team also spent an evening together at a Brazilian steakhouse in Phoenix.

"The team really bonded and got to know each other," Jackson said. "The team chemistry and camaraderie we established there will carry us a long ways."

Working out away from Colorado Springs also had its benefits.

"It was a different atmosphere being in Phoenix," Hrovat said. "It was a nice change of pace. ASU did a great job helping us. We had everything we needed in terms of facilities, hotel, everything. It was everything we could have hoped for."

Cormier said he came away impressed with his new Olympic teammates during the 10 days in the blazing Arizona heat.

Among the Olympians he is raving about is Askren, 23, who has only been wrestling internationally full-time for just over a year.

"Ben Askren, there's something different about him that allows him to compete at a high level," Cormier said. "Being around him for the first time, I understand that he has a champion's heart. He is determined to be as good as he can be. He's special. Tyrone Lewis is one of the best wrestlers in the World. For Ben to beat Tyrone three times in a row tells me he is ready."

Cejudo, 21, who made his first World Team in 2007, also looked good in Phoenix. Mocco was impressive as well.

"Henry Cejudo, his ability to train hard, is off the charts. He is working so hard right now. He beat an Olympic silver medalist in Stephen Abas to make the team so you know how good Henry is," Cormier said. "And Steve Mocco, that guy is just an animal. He's a machine. He outworks anybody from 174 pounds on up. He's a rare breed for a heavyweight. Mocco beat Tommy Rowlands, a guy who placed in the top five in the World last year, to make our team. You know Mocco can do real well in Beijing."

Jackson said he is looking for the same type of commitment from his team during the second Olympic training camp in Colorado.

"The second camp will be similar to the first one," said Jackson, a 1992 Olympic gold medalist. "We will try to come up with a technical and tactical plan for each one of our opponents. If we continue to force the issue in areas we are strong in we have a good chance to win the match. If we do everything in our power to prepare correctly for the Olympics, our tournament will take care of itself. Our success will be in our training."

Cormier said he is trying to do all the extra work he can to prepare for his second Olympic Games.

During the break between Olympic camps, Cormier said he continued to train after returning home to Stillwater, Okla.

"In 2004, I remember Cael Sanderson going out to run two miles after every practice," Cormier said. "He deserved to be Olympic champion because he worked for it. That's what this team has to do. Cael set the blueprint and we have to follow it.