GENEVA — The Swedish wrestler who dropped his medal in protest at the Beijing Olympics was banned for two years along with his coach for “scandalous behavior,” the sport’s governing body said Thursday.

The wrestling federation, known as FILA, suspended Ara Abrahamian and coach Leo Myllari and banned Sweden’s wrestling federation from hosting international events for two years.

FILA also fined Abrahamian $2,600, Myllari $8,600 and the Swedish federation $43,000.

In a statement, FILA president Raphael Martinetti said the Swedes showed a “serious lack of Olympic spirit.”

Abrahamian disputed a penalty call which decided his semifinal bout against Andrea Minguzzi in the Greco-Roman 84-kilogram division. The Italian went on to win the gold medal.

Abrahamian won his bronze medal bout after his coach reportedly argued with judges and accused them of corruption.

During the medal ceremony, the Armenian-born wrestler took the bronze medal from his neck and dropped it on the mat as he walked away.

The International Olympic Committee stripped Abrahamian of the medal and expelled him from the Games after ruling he violated the Olympic charter and was disrespectful to other medalists.

The Swiss-based wrestling body opened its own investigation and published verdicts Thursday.

By K.J. Pilcher
The Gazette

The emotional and physical demands of wrestling can be trying on competitors and their closest supporters.

Occasionally, the sport’s daily grind can strain a bond between the two, especially if that relationship isn’t bolstered by shared DNA or mat experience. University of Iowa national runner-up Joey Slaton and his stepfather, Matt Shaver, have grappled with that very dilemma.

For almost 17 years, they’ve encountered wrestling’s vast range of experiences, surviving bouts of frustration and conflict and enjoying the many good times.

“We get into our fights, you know,” Slaton said during a summer interview. “Just like every other parent. It’s not anything really that serious.”

Slaton’s mother, Robin Shaver, and Matt introduced Slaton to wrestling when he was 4 for practices at the YMCA,

“We got him started, because at the time Joe had a lot of energy,” Matt Shaver said. “He was always on the go, always moving.”

Joey and Matt spent a lot of time together at youth tournaments, wrestling and bonding.

“They’d have a lot of stories they’d come home with and they just seem to click on that subject,” Robin said. “You could never tell, that even though his last name and our last name are different, they still wouldn’t put together that Matt wasn’t his dad.

By Jeff Beshey

A few weeks after the Sydney Games were over I sat down with Olympic Bronze Medalist and University of Minnesota heavyweight Garrett Lowney. Although the 21 year old Lowney has been a student/athlete at the U of MN for two years, he still has four years of college eligibility left and has yet to step on the mat as a Gopher. I asked him about his Olympic experience and what he expects as a college wrestler.

What are some of the ways your life has changed since winning the Olympic bronze medal?
Overall my life really hasn’t changed. I’m a student again going through all the same things everyone else goes through. I’ll soon be back with the team just like always. There are a few different things like signing autographs, going to speak with people and getting noticed every once in a while, which is a little different for me, but overall my life really hasn’t changed that much.

When did being an Olympian become your goal?
My mom says that I told her when I first started wresting, at five or six years old, that I wanted to be in the Olympics. I don’t really remember that, but she swears by it. I do remember watching wrestling as a very young kid and dreaming about being there.

Mike Rodriguez was one of the great college wrestlers of the 1950s — a three-time Big Ten champ and two-time NCAA finalist for the University of Michigan…

Then he became a long-time high school coach in Detroit, molding Michigan high school state champions.

Now there’s a neat video tribute to Mike Rodriguez as wrestler and coach, including black-and-white footage of some of his most thrilling college matches on YouTube.

Part 1:

Part 2:

By GREG TUFARO

Sophomore Darrion Caldwell, an NCAA All-American wrestler who asked for his release from North Carolina State University, has been granted permission to speak with three schools, including Rutgers, where he would like to continue to wrestle and possibly try to resume his football career.

It remains to be seen, however, whether or not N.C. State officials will release Caldwell from his wrestling scholarship commitment. If they don’t, Caldwell’s father, Kevin, said his son will still transfer.

Without an NCAA one-time transfer release, Caldwell would lose a year of wrestling eligibility, hindering his chances of winning a national title and perhaps one day realizing his ultimate goal of qualifying for the 2012 Olympics.

Caldwell is N.C. State’s first All-American since 1996. A two-time NCAA qualifier and owner of a 62-9 career record, Caldwell won his second straight Atlantic Coast Conference championship this season. He also placed fifth in the NCAA Tournament at 149 pounds. As a 141-pounder, Caldwell was named the ACC’s 2006-07 Wrestler of the Year. He is the jewel of N.C. State’s program.

By JOSH KATZOWITZ

Video: Profile of Dustin Carter from The Enquirer

GOSHEN, Ohio — The scream that Dustin Carter let loose in a gym here last weekend conveyed equal parts pain and elation. It was the sound of glory for a high school senior who wrestles unlike any of his opponents.

Carter, a high school senior, uses prosthetic legs when not wrestling. He is 41-2 this season and is competing in Ohio’s state tournament.

Carter, 18, is a 103-pounder whose legs end at his hips, whose right arm stops just after his elbow and whose left arm is even shorter. He had the rest taken from him at age 5 because of a blood infection that required extensive amputations.

His life is not easy, but he gets by just fine — particularly on the wrestling mat. His scream was his guttural recognition that he had earned a berth in the state’s Division II wrestling tournament, finishing third in his region and carving out his place among the best wrestlers in Ohio. On Thursday in Columbus, he won a match in triple overtime to reach the quarterfinals.

I’ve seen good wrestling matches in the past, but this kid is the champ. Check out his amazing move that gets him the pin!

This is something you have to see to believe.

Agile Wrestler Kicks Ass

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