General Comments Regarding Young (Light-Weight) Wrestlers Preparing for the Olympic Trials

The following is excerpted from an August 95 letter to Bruce Gabrielson by Ken Chirtow. Bruce felt the information important enough that he has provided it here.

1. The best light-weight wrestlers weigh 8 to 15 lbs heavier than they wrestle. Hit the weights hard this fall.

2. Work on mat wrestling a lot, both top and bottom. Freestyle at the senior level is as much on the mat as on the feet.

3. Wrestle men whenever possible.

4. Look at it as a nothing to loose, everything to gain experience in training for and trying out for the team as a high schooler. The pressure is on the older guys. Your best wrestling is still in front of you.

5. Get some tapes of the competition and study them to see what works at the weight your trying for and at that level of competition. Scout the competition if you can.

6. Don't loose sight of doing well at the scholastic/high school level. It's very hard for light light-weights to earn college scholarship opportunities.

Regarding eligibility, take note that the youngest wrestlers that will be allowed to try for the Olympics will not be able to wrestle in all quilifiers. For some events the wrestler must be at least 17 on the date of event. For regional qualifiers, you must be 17 during the Olympic year.