http://themat.com/pressbox/pressdetail.asp?aid=11391
FEATURE: Byers seeks Olympic glory, and may pursue his dream through 2012 Games
12/23/2004
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
Dremiel Byers has been a World champion in Greco-Roman wrestling. Only four U.S. wrestlers have ever won a World Greco-Roman title. He is in some very exclusive company, joining Mike Houck, Dennis Hall and Rulon Gardner with a World gold medal in his trophy case.
You might think that this would be enough for Dremiel Byers. Not even close.
Byers is not only committed to trying to win a gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, he also has his sights on the 2012 Olympics, wherever they will be held. He knows he will be in his late 30’s by 2012, but that does not matter. Dremiel Byers has Olympic dreams.
Bring up the 2002 World Championships in Moscow, Russia, where Byers shocked the world and captured the World title, and he does not want to go there. It doesn’t matter that Byers lifted and threw all of his opponents that weekend, and beat some of the best wrestlers on the planet. To Dremiel Byers, 2002 is ancient history.
“When it happened, it happened along the way to my goal,” said Byers. “We do this for Olympic medals, not other medals. I have put it in the darkest corner. It is not the medal I do all of this for. You can’t swell your chest for medals that you are not doing this about. If you do, that is as far as you will go.”
Byers received a tremendous amount of attention this year, after losing in the Olympic Trials to his archrival and friend Rulon Gardner. Byers agreed to serve as Gardner’s training partner in Athens, helping the man who beat him to prepare. They were roommates during the Olympics. They trained together on a daily basis. They did national media interviews together. They were a team. And when it was over, Rulon Gardner won the Olympic bronze medal, becoming only the second American to win two career Olympic Greco-Roman medals.
The experience was positive to Byers, who chooses not to dwell on the past but look ahead.
“I grew a lot. I learned a lot,” said Byers. “I saw the other wrestlers and watched them as they took the step forward and got better. I finally got to see the Olympic Games and see what it is about. It motivates you.”
With Gardner leaving his ASICS on the center mat after winning his medal in Athens, the U.S. wrestling community is looking to Byers to step in and continue the tradition that American heavyweights have established. Byers is excited about this challenge.
“I feel I need to step up and carry it forward,” said Byers. “People often overlook the step up part of this. Rulon did a lot of good for heavyweight wrestling. He motivated a lot of people, myself included.”
Byers and Gardner, fierce rivals on the mat, remained friendly off the mats. Byers also pointed out that they pushed each other in training, taught each other techniques, and inspired each other to excel. When they said a prayer together prior to their first match at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, they showed the sports world about their priorities and their values.
“For us, everybody gives. Quick to give and slow to take. This is the reason we are really successful at heavyweight in Greco-Roman. I am going to do my best every chance I get,” said Byers.
Byers has not been doing much wrestling since the Athens Games ended. As an active duty soldier in the U.S. Army, Byers has a military career as well as an athletic career. This fall, for about eight weeks, he was in Virginia taking a professional development class, a non-commissioned officer’s course. A Staff Sargeant who works in the quartermaster corps, he is working towards becoming a Sargeant First-Class with his next promotion.
Byers enjoys this assignment, because he gets to work directly with the troops, unlike some of the other assignments in the Army.
“There is a lot of interaction with the troops. It is very important now, because many of them will be going to Iraq. Whatever experience we put in their head, they will hit the ground and have to run with it,” said Byers.
Since he spent the autumn in school, Byers did no wrestling and very little athletic training. The chance to compete at the New York AC Christmas International in New York City allowed him to get back to his passion, his purpose, which is wrestling.
“I haven’t had a match since the Olympic Team Trials,” said Byers during the competition in New York. “I have been itching on the inside to get here. I didn’t care where the tournament was, I was going to be there. I would have found a way to get there. I just had to get it out of my system.”
For an athlete with a limited chance to prepare, Byers did a great job at the New York AC Christmas International, claiming the 120 kg/264.5 lbs. title. He won three matches, not allowing any points to the competitors. In the finals, he pinned Khoren Papoyan of the Sunkist Kids, a past World placewinner from Armenia.
Byers has made a long-term commitment to his wrestling career, looking to add more medals to his 2002 World gold medal. Although he seeks to win every tournament he enters, his goal and dream remains winning the Olympic Games. He is very aware of the tradition that has been established in his division. Even more, Byers enjoys the process of being an international wrestler.
“I enjoy it. I love the people more than anything,” said Byers. “When it is all said and done, who would believe our lives? We travel the world and wrestle.”
Expect Dremiel Byers to be wrestling for many years to come
Wrestling Gear
