USA Wrestling examines disappointing performance

USA Wrestling will hold the first in a series of meetings Sunday to re-evaluate its programs, a first step in what could become an overhaul of the sport in America.

The meeting comes on the heels of a disappointing Olympics where the U.S. finished with three total medals in freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling – the lowest medal count since 1968.

The single freestyle medal – Henry Cejudo’s gold at 121 pounds – was the fewest in that discipline since 1964.

“It’s time for a change,” said Kevin Jackson, coach of the U.S. freestyle team and a former Iowa State all-American. “It’s time for a major change.”

Former Iowa coach Dan Gable, Iowa State coach Cael Sanderson, Edinboro athletic director Bruce Baumgartner, Penn head coach Zeke Jones, and former Iowa State coach Bobby Douglas – all world-level medalists – are among at least 24 scheduled to participate.

USA Wrestling executive director Rich Bender also gathered input from John Smith, Oklahoma State coach and winner of six consecutive world and two Olympic championships.

Maryland coach and two-time Olympian Kerry McCoy of Penn State also is expected at the meeting in Colorado Springs, Colo., as the sport’s top names focus on ensuring upcoming world championships and the 2012 Olympics in London end differently.

“Three medals at the Olympic Games is not acceptable to us,” Bender said.

Some of the potential meeting topics, according to Bender:

•A possible increase in regional training opportunities for athletes who can’t or won’t live extensively at the U.S. training center in Colorado Springs.

•An evaluation of financial support and performance-based incentives.

•Improving relationships with college coaches for athletes interested in training while in college.

•Freestyle training opportunities for top junior athletes before college.

Minutes after U.S. freestyle competition at the Beijing Olympics ended, Jackson outlined his concerns with the lack of top athletes training full time in Colorado Springs and a disparity in performance-based financial payouts with nations such as powerhouse Russia – which announced any gold medal in Bejing would bring a $500,000 bonus.

Cejudo, Bender said, was awarded $65,000 as a bonus for winning gold.

“If you’re doing a job for $500,000 and I’m doing the same job for ($65,000), I guarantee you’ll work a little harder,” Jackson said.

Jackson added: “There’s no secret that the countries out there that are putting the most money into the sport are having the most success.”

Creating a longer-term, professional environment that would allow athletes to compete for more than one Olympic cycle is critical, too, according to Jackson’s view.

“You look at basketball,” Jackson said. “We kept sending college teams, and other athletes, all-star teams. They had to formulate a different system to allow them now to dominate. It’s been talked about, it’s been discussed, but it’s time to put those discussions into actions.”

Cejudo trained in Colorado Springs.

Jackson said it’s more financially feasible for someone like Cejudo, however, since he’s 21 and single – but more difficult for those supporting families.