UPDATED: Two-time World bronze medalist Harry Lester focused on earning trip to Beijing
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by Craig Sesker
Harry Lester's biggest battle in recent years hasn't been his opponents on the wrestling mat.
It's been with the scale.
"Cutting weight is by far the hardest part of wrestling for me - going out there and wrestling is the fun part," he said. "I've grown and filled out the last few years. I've gone from cutting four kilos three years ago to cutting about 13 kilos now."
That's a lot of weight when you consider one kilogram equals 2.2 pounds.
Lester, a two-time World bronze medalist, helped lead the U.S. to the Greco-Roman team title at the 2007 World Championships. He said he has started to bring his weight back down as he prepares for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials on June 13-15 in Las Vegas.
"Harry Lester has a great opportunity to become a gold medalist for the USA in Beijing," U.S. National Coach Steve Fraser said. "He is one of the most tenacious wrestlers I have ever known. Harry is a great competitor and is extremely talented. The key for Harry will be to manage his weight properly and stay healthy for the summer."
Lester, 24, from Akron, Ohio, will compete at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. in the Olympic Trials. He will enter the Trials as the No. 3 seed after skipping April's U.S. Nationals. The top two finishers at U.S. Nationals - Mark Rial and Jake Deitchler - clinched the top two seeds at the Olympic Trials by placing 1-2 at Nationals.
Lester has not lost to an American wrestler since suffering a setback to Glenn Garrison at the 2005 U.S. World Team Trials in Ames, Iowa. Lester lost to Garrison in the first match of the best-of-3 finals before recovering to win the next two bouts to make his first World Team.
Lester has not wrestled at U.S. Nationals the past three seasons. In 2006 and 2007, he ended up finishing third in the World after bypassing Nationals.
He said he skipped last month's U.S. Nationals after becoming ill shortly before the event.
"I'm not worried about missing Nationals," said Lester, who is scheduled to wrestle at the Olympic Trials on June 14. "I have to wrestle everybody anyway. Plus I like getting some matches in before the finals. I don't like sitting around all day."
The 5-foot-7 Lester, like many wrestlers, is caught in between weight classes. With only seven international weight classes now, gaps between divisions are much more noticeable.
The next weight up from Lester's weight class is 74 kg/163 lbs. Wrestlers in that class are nearly 20 pounds heavier than the division he wrestles in.
Before the classes were changed, wrestlers competed at 152 pounds.
"152 would have been perfect for me," Lester said.
Lester, who competes for the Gator Wrestling Club, continues to train at the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Mich.
One of his closest friends, Spenser Mango, enters the Olympic Trials seeded No. 1 at 55 kg/121 lbs. Mango also trains at the USOEC.
"It would be great to see Spenser make the Olympic Team," Lester said. "He's a lot further along than I was at his age. He's wrestling really well right now. He has a really good shot to make it to the Olympics."
The Olympic Games for wrestling are scheduled for Aug. 12-21 in Beijing, China. Lester would compete on Aug. 13.
"I'm very excited about the opportunity to compete in the Olympics," Lester said. "This is it - this is what I've been training my whole career for. I just have to focus on making this team and getting over to China."
Lester said his training is progressing well. His main workout partner at the USOEC is Jake Fisher, an Olympic hopeful at 74 kilos. Fisher placed third at U.S. Nationals.
"Jake's been my training partner the last three years," Lester said. "He's helped me a lot. We really push each other."
Lester said he may continue to compete after 2008.
"I doubt it will be at 66 kilos," Lester said with a laugh. "I may see if I can get stronger and maybe move up a class. But I'm not too worried about any of that right now."
Lester, an explosive wrestler who features an assortment of big moves in his arsenal, is just thinking about his first match at the Trials.
"I know what I need to do," he said. "I just need to go out there full steam and do what I'm capable of doing. Then everything else will take care of itself.
It's been with the scale.
"Cutting weight is by far the hardest part of wrestling for me - going out there and wrestling is the fun part," he said. "I've grown and filled out the last few years. I've gone from cutting four kilos three years ago to cutting about 13 kilos now."
That's a lot of weight when you consider one kilogram equals 2.2 pounds.
Lester, a two-time World bronze medalist, helped lead the U.S. to the Greco-Roman team title at the 2007 World Championships. He said he has started to bring his weight back down as he prepares for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials on June 13-15 in Las Vegas.
"Harry Lester has a great opportunity to become a gold medalist for the USA in Beijing," U.S. National Coach Steve Fraser said. "He is one of the most tenacious wrestlers I have ever known. Harry is a great competitor and is extremely talented. The key for Harry will be to manage his weight properly and stay healthy for the summer."
Lester, 24, from Akron, Ohio, will compete at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. in the Olympic Trials. He will enter the Trials as the No. 3 seed after skipping April's U.S. Nationals. The top two finishers at U.S. Nationals - Mark Rial and Jake Deitchler - clinched the top two seeds at the Olympic Trials by placing 1-2 at Nationals.
Lester has not lost to an American wrestler since suffering a setback to Glenn Garrison at the 2005 U.S. World Team Trials in Ames, Iowa. Lester lost to Garrison in the first match of the best-of-3 finals before recovering to win the next two bouts to make his first World Team.
Lester has not wrestled at U.S. Nationals the past three seasons. In 2006 and 2007, he ended up finishing third in the World after bypassing Nationals.
He said he skipped last month's U.S. Nationals after becoming ill shortly before the event.
"I'm not worried about missing Nationals," said Lester, who is scheduled to wrestle at the Olympic Trials on June 14. "I have to wrestle everybody anyway. Plus I like getting some matches in before the finals. I don't like sitting around all day."
The 5-foot-7 Lester, like many wrestlers, is caught in between weight classes. With only seven international weight classes now, gaps between divisions are much more noticeable.
The next weight up from Lester's weight class is 74 kg/163 lbs. Wrestlers in that class are nearly 20 pounds heavier than the division he wrestles in.
Before the classes were changed, wrestlers competed at 152 pounds.
"152 would have been perfect for me," Lester said.
Lester, who competes for the Gator Wrestling Club, continues to train at the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Mich.
One of his closest friends, Spenser Mango, enters the Olympic Trials seeded No. 1 at 55 kg/121 lbs. Mango also trains at the USOEC.
"It would be great to see Spenser make the Olympic Team," Lester said. "He's a lot further along than I was at his age. He's wrestling really well right now. He has a really good shot to make it to the Olympics."
The Olympic Games for wrestling are scheduled for Aug. 12-21 in Beijing, China. Lester would compete on Aug. 13.
"I'm very excited about the opportunity to compete in the Olympics," Lester said. "This is it - this is what I've been training my whole career for. I just have to focus on making this team and getting over to China."
Lester said his training is progressing well. His main workout partner at the USOEC is Jake Fisher, an Olympic hopeful at 74 kilos. Fisher placed third at U.S. Nationals.
"Jake's been my training partner the last three years," Lester said. "He's helped me a lot. We really push each other."
Lester said he may continue to compete after 2008.
"I doubt it will be at 66 kilos," Lester said with a laugh. "I may see if I can get stronger and maybe move up a class. But I'm not too worried about any of that right now."
Lester, an explosive wrestler who features an assortment of big moves in his arsenal, is just thinking about his first match at the Trials.
"I know what I need to do," he said. "I just need to go out there full steam and do what I'm capable of doing. Then everything else will take care of itself.
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