From Eddie Goldman’s ADCC News
http://news.adcombat.com/article.html?id=8253
GABER, BYERS, ABAS, AND GEORGE EXPECTED AT NEW YORK ATHLETIC CLUB
CHRISTMAS WRESTLING TOURNAMENT, DEC. 18-19
Submitted by: E.Goldman/Boxing & Wrestling Editor
Posted On 12/16/2004
It’s the most wonderful time of the year — for wrestling in New York,
that is.
The annual New York Athletic Club Christmas International Wrestling
Championships are set to take place in New York City, Sat., Dec. 18,
and Sun., Dec. 19, at the New York Athletic Club at 180 Central Park
South in Manhattan. Every year this event features numerous world-class
wrestlers competing, often offering previews of the World Team Trials,
the Olympic Trials, and even the World Championships and Olympics
themselves.
Last year’s tournament saw yet another showdown in the heavyweight
Greco-Roman finals between 2000 Olympic gold medalist and 2001 world
champion Rulon Gardner and 2002 world champion Dremiel Byers. Gardner,
who won that battle, has since retired from competition, but Byers is
slated to be back this year.
Numerous champion wrestlers from around the world also compete in this
event. For the past two years, Karam Gaber Ibrahim of Egypt, who won an
Olympic gold medal at 96 kg in Greco in 2004, after winning silver
medals in 2002 and 2003, has competed in and won this tournament. We
have again confirmed with his brother and manager, Adel Ibrahim, who
lives in New York, that Karam is expected to wrestle once again at this
event.
Here is the USA Wrestling press release about the New York Athletic
Club Christmas International Wrestling Championships. Make sure also to
read the dress code for entering the New York Athletic Club through the
front lobby.
World and Olympic medalists expected at New York Athletic Club
Christmas International in New York City, Dec. 18-19 with the new
international rules in effect
A number of past World and Olympic medalists are expected to be in the
field, when the annual New York Athletic Club Christmas International
Wrestling Championships will be held in New York City, N.Y., Dec.
18-19.
Competition will feature the three international Olympic styles of the
wrestling: men’s freestyle, men’s Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle
wrestling.
Among the stars expected to compete are 2002 World Champion Dremiel
Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) in the men’s Greco-Roman
division, 2004 Olympic silver medalist Stephen Abas (Fresno,
Calif./Sunkist Kids) in the men’s freestyle division and two-time World
silver medalist Tina George (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) in
the women’s freestyle division. There is no preregistration for this
open tournament, so their participation was confirmed through their
coaches and/or clubs.
The tournament will be held at the world-famous New York Athletic
Club, at 180 Central Park South in Manhattan. The new rules of
international wrestling will be in place, which take effect worldwide
starting in January, 2005.
Each style will be contested over just one day. This is consistent with
the new international rules, which provides that each weight class will
be started and finished on the same day.
The men’s freestyle and women’s freestyle divisions will be held on
Saturday, Dec. 18. The women’s meet starts at 9:00 a.m., with the
finals set at 12:00 noon. The men’s freestyle will begin at 1:00 p.m.,
with the finals set for 7:00 p.m.
The men’s Greco-Roman competition will be held on Sunday, Dec. 19. The
tournament will begin at 10:00 a.m., with the finals set for 4:00 p.m.
Byers, who won the 2002 World gold medal at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., is the
top star expected to compete in the Greco-Roman field. He placed second
in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials, losing to two-time Olympic medalist
Rulon Gardner in the finals. Byers was the 2004 U.S. Nationals
champion, defeating Gardner in the gold-medal round there. He was also
sixth in the 1999 World Championships. Byers has won four U.S.
Nationals titles.
Abas won an Olympic silver medal at 55 kg/121 lbs. at the 2004 Athens
Olympic Games, one of three U.S. freestyle athletes to win a medal. He
was also a member of three U.S. World Teams (2001-2003), with a fifth
place at the 2003 World Championships. He was a 2003 Pan American Games
champion, a two-time World Cup champion (2002-03) and a two-time U.S.
Nationals champion (2003-04).
George won World silver medals in 2002 and 2003 competing at 55 kg/121
lbs. She was second in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. George also
participated in the 1998, 1999 and 2000 World Championships. She was a
2003 Pan American Games champion, and has won two U.S. Nationals
titles.
There will be prize money available, as part of the USA Wrestling
National Teams program. In the men’s divisions, champions receive
$1,000, runners-up $500 and third-place winners $250. In the women’s
division, champions receive $400 and runners-up receive $200. These
prize levels were determined by the specific Sports Committees for each
style. Foreign athletes only receive prize money if they win a gold
medal.
Many of the nation’s top wrestlers in each style are expected to
participate. This will include athletes from outstanding club programs
such as the host New York AC, the Dave Schultz WC, the Sunkist Kids,
the Gator WC, the Minnesota Storm, the U.S. Army and others. In
addition, both the men’s Greco-Roman team and the women’s freestyle
team from the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan Univ.
are expected to enter.
A number of talented athletes from Canada are expected to participate,
as some top Canadian club programs will attend the competition.
Invitations were sent to a dozen international teams, and traditionally
there are some talented foreign athletes in the field.
2004 Olympic champion Karam Gaber of Egypt, a New York AC Christmas
International champion in 2003, is an example of the caliber of
participants who have attended in recent seasons.
Below is a list of top Americans who may attend, based upon discussions
with clubs and coaches.
Men’s Freestyle
– 2004 Olympic silver medalist Stephen Abas (Fresno, Calif./Sunkist
Kids)
– 2004 Olympian and 2001 World bronze medalist Joe Williams (Ames,
Iowa/Sunkist Kids)
-Two-time U.S. World Team member Chris Bono (Gilbert, Iowa/Sunkist Kids)
– 1998 U.S. Nationals champion Tolly Thompson (Cedar Falls,
Iowa/Sunkist Kids)
– 2004 NCAA champion and Outstanding Wrestler Jesse Jantzen (Cambridge,
Mass./Dave Schultz WC)
– 1998 Junior World champion and two-time NCAA champion Donny Pritzlaff
(Hempstead, N.Y./New York AC)
– 2000 Junior World silver medalist and two-time NCAA champion Tommy
Rowlands (Columbus, Ohio/Dave Schultz WC)
– 2003 New York AC Christmas International champion Michael Lightner
(Norman, Okla./Dave Schultz WC)
– 1999 NCAA champion Kirk White (Tacoma, Wash./Dave Schultz WC)
– 2003 New York AC Christmas International champion Jared Frayer
(Cambridge, Mass./Dave Schultz WC)
– 2004 U.S. Nationals bronze medalist Mo Lawal (Stillwater, Okla./Gator
WC)
Men’s Greco-Roman
– 2002 World champion and four-time U.S. Nationals champion Dremiel
Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army)
– 2004 Olympian and 2004 World Cup champion Brad Vering (Colorado
Springs, Colo./New York AC)
– 2003 U.S. World Team member Justin Ruiz (Colorado Springs, Colo./New
York AC)
– 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up Joe Warren (Colorado Springs,
Colo./New York AC)
– 2004 U.S. Nationals champion Darryl Christian (Colorado Springs,
Colo./New York AC)
– 2002 World Championships sixth placewinner Khoran Papoyan
(Armenia/Sunkist Kids)
– Three-time U.S. Nationals runner-up Lindsey Durlacher (Colorado
Springs, Colo./New York AC)
– 2001 World Team Trials runner-up Glenn Garrison (Colorado Springs,
Colo./U.S. Army)
Women’s Freestyle
– 2002 and 2003 World silver medalist Tina George (Colorado Springs,
Colo./New York AC)
– 2001 World silver medalist Stephanie Murata (Colorado Springs,
Colo./Sunkist Kids)
– 2001 World Cup champion and 2003 U.S. Nationals champion Katie
Downing (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)
– 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up Alaina Berube (Escanaba,
Mich./New York AC)
– 2004 U.S. Nationals runner-up Debbi Sakai (Mililani, Hawaii/USOEC)
– 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials fourth place finisher Stefanie Shaw
(Waterford, Conn.)
– 2002 and 2003 U.S. Nationals runner-up Kaci Lyle (Colorado Springs,
Colo./Sunkist Kids)
– 2002 World Team Trials runner-up Katie Kunimoto (Colorado Springs,
Colo./Gator WC)
– 2004 U.S. Nationals runner-up Heather Martin (Wellington, Ohio/New
York AC)
– 2002 U.S. Nationals runner-up Danielle Hobeika (Forest Grove,
Ore./Dave Schultz WC)
There is a $10 admission fee each day for spectators to enjoy this
spectacular international wrestling action. The New York Athletic Club
has a dress code for everybody entering the lobby. Men must wear a
shirt and jacket, and women must wear casual business attire.
For more information, contact Sonny Greenhalgh of the New York AC at
973-356-0670, or via e-mail at 973-256-0670. An event flyer is
available by visiting TheMat.com.
2003 NEW YORK AC CHRISTMAS INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Men’s Freestyle champions
121 – Leroy Vega (Minn. Storm); 132 – Michael Lightner (Dave Schultz
WC); 145.5 – Jared Frayer (Dave Schultz WC); 163 – Joe Williams
(Sunkist Kids); 185 – Lee Fullhart (Gator WC); 211.5 – Dean Morrison
(New York AC); 264.5 – Steven Mocco (New York AC)
Men’s Greco-Roman champions
121 – Lindsey Durlacher (New York AC); 132 – Joe Warren (New York AC);
145.5 – Harry Lester (USOEC); 163 – Oleg Mivalovich (Belarus); 185 –
Ethan Bosch (New York AC); 211.5 – Karam Gaber (Egypt); 264.5 – Rulon
Gardner (Sunkist Kids)
Women’s freestyle champions
105.5 – Mary Kelly (New York AC); 112.25 – Malinda Ripley (Sunkist
Kids); 121 – Diletta Giampiccolo (Italy); 130 – Erin Tomeo (Sunkist
Kids); 138.75 – Sara McMann (Sunkist Kids); 158.5 – Kristie Marano
(New York AC)
Wrestling Gear
