Being part of the Colorado Springs (Colo.) Downtown Olympic Celebration is no less special for the four Greco-Roman wrestlers who stayed behind to train.
The U.S. Greco-Roman wrestling team and coaching staff are skipping Friday's opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro to train at their longtime home, the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center.
"Originally, I was disappointed about not walking in the ceremony in Rio, but now I am pleased we stayed," said 165-pound wrestler Andy Bisek, ranked No. 5 in the world and one of the top American medal hopefuls along with 19th-ranked 130-pounder Jesse Thielke. "Staying behind enables us to stay focused on preparation and to be at our best."
Celebrating downtown is a pretty good consolation prize for the athletes who will run the final leg of the torch relay and hand it off to Bruce Baumgartner, one of the best freestyle wrestlers for more than a decade, who will light the cauldron.
"I have been here for 11 years and this town has become home to me," heavyweight Robby Smith said. "I am blessed to get to do this with my family and friends.
"Besides, I get the great honor to hand the torch off to (two-time Olympic gold medalist) Bruce Baumgartner. That is an amazing honor to me. I am ready to celebrate with the fans and then do a job down there in Rio."
That job is performing well when Greco competition begins Aug. 14. The Americans, who leave Aug. 10, will treat the worldwide event as just another tournament. The women's and men's freestyle starts later and concludes Aug. 21.
Wrestling your best and perhaps medaling will be far more memorable than any ceremony, two-time Olympian Ben Provisor said. "It was cool to be part of the (2012 London) opening ceremonies but you stood around for four hours waiting before you walked in," the 187-pounder said.
That includes avoiding any distractions, whether it be poorly constructed dormitories, water quality and mosquitoes, or the bustle of life in the Athletes Village.
"With everything going on in Rio, we as a coaching staff decided it would be better to stay here and train at home where the wrestlers are most comfortable," coach Matt Lindland said. "We didn't want the guys waiting for days before they compete and run the chance of getting caught up in all the hype."
"We're here to go down there and win medals," Smith said. "I am looking forward to going down there and showing the world what I have and compete to the fullest."
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