#development

More Than Medals wraps up after a week in Rome

Sunday, August 14, 2022 - 23:39 By United World Wrestling Press

Share this article

ROME, Italy (August 14) --- From August 1st to 7th, keeping with the UWW strategy focusing on youth development, the More than Medals World – Rome 2022, was held in the installation of the Olympic Training Center. "FIJLKAM" (Federazione Italiana Judo Lotta Karate Arti Marziali).

For 7 days 14 countries from the 5 continents and almost 50 wrestlers and coaches took part in the event, allowing these young athletes to exchange experiences and create good memories through different activities.

The training sessions were organized by Vincent AKA (FRA/CIV) UWW Development Officer with the help of each national coach so everybody could experience the other countries' training styles and learn new ways. A video analysis session was also carried out to enhance the ability to understand the tactical resources in wrestling.

Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), a world and Olympic medalist, joined the camp as an ambassador, shared his techniques and experience with the youth, and encouraged them to pursue their dreams in wrestling further.

Additionally, a beach wrestling session was carried out, allowing the participants to taste (literally) the sand and uniquely enjoy wrestling. Also, the athletes had fun with some group beach games.

ITAParticipants of the More Than Medals camp visit historical sights in Rome. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Different seminars were held to enrich the development of the athletes, like Wrestle for Climate, Olympic Movement Faster, Higher, Stronger, among others.

Dr. Federico Verdi carried out the Anti-Doping seminar from the Italian Committee on Anti-Doping Education, Training, and Research. His seminar was centered on general Anti-Doping rules, the rights and responsibilities of athletes and coaches (rules for minors and adults), testing procedures, clean sports values, and ethics.

For the coaches' development, five sessions of the UWW coaching clinic were dictated to continue working on the concept and nurture of coaching; they are a fundamental gear to keep athletes going with their respective sport and performance.

One day was designated for a tour of the city of Rome, where they were exposed firsthand to what is to be in one of the classic cities of the history of mankind and admire its beauty. The purpose of this activity was to get to know a different country, grasp the cultural exchange, and create open-minded individuals. They have the opportunity to taste Italian ice cream and share a good time under the sun in this emblematic city, for example.

This activity couldn't have come true without the support of the FIJLKAM (Federazione Italiana Judo, Lotta e Arti Marziali).

This camp once again marked the success of the continued More than Medals program that United World Wrestling has been offering to young athletes since 2017.

#WrestleBratislava

Gatsalov: Satisfied with Euros, will prepare for tougher World Championships

Thursday, April 24, 2025 - 13:29 By United World Wrestling Press

Share this article

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 22) -- Khadzhimurat GATSALOV was in Bratislava, Slovakia for the European Championships as the coach if the UWW wrestlers and returned with five gold, two silver and one bronze medals in 10 weight classes.

United World Wrestling caught up with Gatsalov after the tournament and he reflected on the performance of the wrestlers and his plans for the World Championships which will be held in September in Zagreb, Croatia.

Excerpts:

- On the performance of his wrestlers

Gatsalov: Overall, we are satisfied with the results. We haven’t had a performance like this in a long time -- five gold medals out of ten, plus two silver and one bronze. That means eight out of ten athletes came home with medals. Both the coaching staff and the athletes did a great job and prepared well for this European Championships.

We were counting on four or five gold medals. The guys wrestled really well and followed the instructions. For us coaches, that’s the most important thing that the wrestler steps on the mat and follows the game plan.

- On competition with Iran and the United States

Gatsalov: I believe there’s still room for improvement. This will help strengthen both our technical and physical foundations. When I look at Iranian and American wrestling, they put a lot of emphasis on physical conditioning. We’ve never really focused on that. We’ve always prioritized technique. But moving forward, we’ll also be physically prepared to endure tough matches and handle heavy loads without wearing out.

- On Sidakov's return and performance at 74kg

Gatsalov: Sidakov just couldn’t make it happen this time, maybe it’s because they know each other so well. [Chermen] VALIEV had a very strong motivation to win. You could feel it, it was clear on the mat. But as a coach, I believe this loss will serve as a driving force for Sidakov's future wins. It’s a significant psychological moment. Honestly, it’s better to experience this now than at the World Championships or the Olympics. I think once he recovers from his injury, we’ll get back to training and keep moving forward.

- On former world champion Baev winning gold

Gatsalov: Since 2019, he hadn’t shown any results on an international level. But today, he was better than anyone. He’s been working towards this moment for a long time, training hard, and he showed solid, confident wrestling. He wrestled like a true master — precise, and without mistakes. We were genuinely very happy for him.

- On the 65kg champion Ibragim IBRAGIMOV

Gatsalov: Ibragimov demonstrated a strong performance, despite losing at the Ranking Series in Albania less than a month ago. Today, he came in well-prepared. He was in good form physically, technically, and mentally. That previous loss likely became a stepping stone toward this victory.

Khadzhimurat GATSAKOVKhadzhimurat GATSALOV at the European Championships in Bratislava. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

- On preparations for World Championships

Gatsalov: We have a clear understanding of how we’re going to prepare. I can’t reveal all the secrets of our training plan, but we know exactly who we’re preparing for. That’s why we’ll be focusing on targeted, individual work against specific opponents. Our coaching staff is strong. We have real professionals on board, including experienced coaches from the old Soviet school and younger ones who are stepping up and bringing fresh energy.

I think our wrestlers are also friendly with each other, which is very important. The atmosphere in the team is productive. We are waiting for the World Championships. We want competition on the mat with big countries like Iran, America. The Japanese have also improved a lot. Therefore, we want to compete with the strong ones, and we want to settle things on the mat.

(The interview was conducted by Karina MIRZOIAN)