#FreestyleFriday: What's going on with Team USA in Vladikavkaz?
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by Joe Russell, USA Wrestling Manager of Freestyle Programs
Six U.S. men’s freestyle athletes are in Vladikavkaz, Russia, to compete at the Alans International, which is scheduled for Dec. 7-8.
National Team coaches Bill Zadick and Joe Russell are also on the trip. Russell, the Manager of Freestyle Programs, documented the team’s first few days in Russia as they prepared for the tournament. Check it out below!
Dec 1-2
Travel to Russia went smoothly. We arrived on schedule in Moscow, checked into a hotel, got a quick workout and had dinner.
Dec 3-5
Early in the morning, we took our final flight to Vladikavkaz.
We are staying at Makharbek Khadartzev’s training facility. It might be the best wrestling training facility I have experienced. You can tell the design had wrestlers in mind from beginning to end. The staff have been great hosts. They have gone out of their way to take care of us.
One funny translation issue happened when we asked for 40 liters of water for the team. The next day our water arrived and we got 40 cases of water. We are now trying to drink the 240 liters of water they gave us.
The guys have been preparing for competition, adjusting to the time change and preparing for weigh-ins. This tournament does not follow the UWW weigh-in rules. They will weigh-in the night before competition and get a 2 kg allowance. No doubt the guys are enjoying the relaxed weigh-in procedure.
On Thursday, the day before weigh-ins, our hosts took us on a tour of Vladikavkaz. I was surprised when our first stop was at a cemetery to pay respects to a Soviet Olympic Wrestling Great and our last stop was at a soon-to-open MMA facility. We also went to a mall to buy food for weigh-ins and competition days. My highlight was seeing the views of the rugged mountains surrounding the city. Coach Bill Zadick wisely put an end to our tour after a few hours. Had he not done so, we might have been on the road until weigh-ins.
We have mostly stayed put at the training facility. We have rooms on the third floor for sleeping. There is no WiFi in the rooms. When we asked why, we were told it is so the wrestlers don’t get distracted. On the first floor, is the dining hall, lounge, six mats, saunas and there is WiFi, so we spend lots of time on the first floor.
I guess not all of us have hung out at the training facility. When we arrived at the one-gate Vladikavkaz airport, the team was put in a bus, and Brandon, our official, was put in a car. We have not seen him since. Fortunately, we have received a text from him that all is well. Brandon is brave.
Dec 6 – weigh-in day
The guys are preparing for the 6 p.m. weigh-in. After making weight the guys will refuel, get some rest and prepare for the upcoming two days of competition. I am excited to watch them perform on Dec 7-8.
You can watch Team USA compete here.
