#UnitedWorldWrestling

Lise Legrand, former world champion, elected CNOSF board member

By United World Wrestling Press

PARIS (September 15) -- Lise LEGRAND (FRA), a former world champion and Olympic bronze medalist, has joined the Board of Directors of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF).

The 47-year-old former wrestler was an Olympic bronze medalist in the 63kg weight class at the 2004 Athens Olympics, the first Games in which women's wrestling featured. She finished fifth at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

Apart from the Olympic medal, Legrand, vice-president of the French Federation of Wrestling, is also a two-time World champion, winning gold in 1995 and 1997. She has two more medals from the World Championships, silver in 2002 and bronze in 1996.

In the European Championships, Legrand is a four-time gold medalist, two-time silver medalist and a four-time bronze medalist.

United World Wrestling congratulates Legrand for her appointment.

#UnitedWorldWrestling

UWW, ICSD sign four-year MoU to promote wrestling

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (November 15) -- United World Wrestling and the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) took a significant step to promote wrestling, signing a four-year Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday.

The MoU will enable both organizations to work together to help and assist deaf wrestlers around the world to take up, participate, and develop in wrestling.

Both UWW and ICSD will also work to develop wrestling for deaf women, search for common strategies, and establish actions to preserve wrestling against the dangers of doping and violence. UWW has also agreed to collaborate for the training of officials.

As the Deaflympics, World Championships, and other tournaments are already in place, UWW will, in the future, appoint a referee delegate for the aforementioned tournaments. Moreover, UWW and ICSD will collaborate in organizing clinics and seminars for coaches, trainers, and referees during ICSD competitions.

The two organizations will place special importance will be placed to improving the quality of the practice of wrestling and establishing a referee training policy for deaf environments.

According to the signed MoU, ICSD competitions will be integrated into the UWW international calendar, UWW will establish the program of the competitions and grant, upon adherence to the regulations in force, a UWW permit for the Summer
Deaflympics and all deaf championships.

In an effort to integrate, all wrestlers participating in ICSD competitions will be encouraged to have a valid UWW license for the current year, which will also provide insurance in case of an accident. If a wrestler does not have a UWW license, it is the respective ICSD Member Nation's responsibility to get the insurance of the wrestler, as UWW will not bear any kind of responsibility whatsoever in case of an accident.

All ICSD Member Nations will be made aware of the convention by ICSD while UWW commits itself to implement the necessary means towards the promotion of wrestling in Deaf Sports structures through its national federations.