Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
The United States wrestling team at the Maccabiah Games should be very competitive, according to Adam Kantor (Annapolis, Md.), the team’s head coach and an assistant coach with the U.S. Naval Academy
The Games span from July 10th – 21st in Tel Aviv, Israel. Wrestling is scheduled for July 16-17, with competition in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.
The Maccabiah Games bring together the best Jewish athletes from around the world to participate in sport and solidarity.
The U.S. wrestling team is a mix of veteran international wrestlers on the Senior circuit, along with some young athletes who will be using this competition to make a name for themselves in the international styles.
Kantor praises his team captain, veteran international Greco-Roman star Lindsey Durlacher (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC). Durlacher will be competing at 60 kg/132 lbs., up one weight class from 55 kg/121 lbs. where he has numerous international wrestling honors.
Durlacher recently qualified for his first U.S. World Greco-Roman team, and has considerably more experience than any of the other team members. Durlacher has wrestled and won gold medals in previous Maccabiah Games, bringing tremendous leadership to this group of athletes.
He notes that the competitor at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Max Meltzer (Bethesda, Md./Harvard) has been very successful on the national freestyle circuit in recent years, and has high expectations. Meltzer has taken a year off from competing at Harvard, and has shown tremendous progress this year.
Kantor also has high hopes for Matt Greenberg (Ithaca, N.Y./New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. as well as Josh Feldman (Pensacola, Fla./U.S. Navy) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Feldman placed third at the 2005 U.S. Nationals in Greco-Roman, Greenberg has been successful in a number of Senior-level international tournaments in recent seasons.
The younger athletes who will be important to the overall team performance will include Jordan Brown (Northwestern) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Lior Zamir (Univ. of Pennsylvania) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Yony Noy (Univ. of Maryland) at 84 kg/185 lbs.
Kantor is also excited that assistant coach Teague Moore (Cambridge, Mass.) has joined the team. Moore was an Olympic caliber freestyle star for many years, and is expected to make a major impact on the team’s performance.
The wrestling team left for Israel on July 2, giving the coaches time for an extensive training camp and preparation period prior to the start of the wrestling tournament. This is where Kantor feels his team will come together and be ready for the challenges of this demanding international tournament.
Teams that are expected to be very strong in both styles include Russia and Israel, along with some strong individuals from other participating nations such as Canada and Australia.
Kantor indicated that this trip offers the athletes more than just a great training and competition opportunity. For athletes of the Jewish faith, this tour provides both cultural and religious benefits that are meaningful in many ways.
For update on U.S. Maccabiah team results
http://www.maccabiusa.com/
U.S. MACCABIAH GAMES WRESTLING TEAM
55 kg/121 lbs. – Jordan Brown (Northwestern Univ.)
60 kg/132 lbs. – Lindsey Durlacher (NYAC)** (Team Captain)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Max Meltzer (Harvard Univ)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Lior Zamir (Univ of Penn)
84 kg/185 lbs. – Yony Noy (Univ of Maryland)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Matt Greenberg (NYAC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Josh Feldman (US Navy)
Head Coach “Adam Kantor
Asst. Coach – Teague Moore
Wrestling Gear
