Olympic Wrestling Team Article Mar 2011
1
For up-to-the-minute news and information visit dailyecho.co.uk Wednesday, March 30, 2011 44 GOT A SPORTS STORY FOR US? EMAIL [email protected] LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS COUNTDOWN THE TRAINING ROOM would be silent, if it weren’t for the sound of grunts and muffled squeaks of trainers on the mats. The members of the Southampton Olympic Wrestling Club are more than an hour into their session and don’t have any spare energy for conversation. Every drop they have is being spent attempting to force each other to the ground. The training is intense. Former Romanian international ath- lete Daniel Vlad, chairman of the group, says that a two-hour training session is the equivalent of a month of going to the gym. There’s probably some professional pride in the statement, and weightlifters would probably disagree. But he has a point. It’s exhausting just watching. They don’t lift weights but train for two hours solid using each other’s weight and strength as resistance. At one point they are lifting each other from one side to the other, like a lumbering, lengthy jive dance. “Everyone comes in standing up and they go out doubled up because they’re so tired,” laughs coach Vasile Steffan, a f e l l o w Romanian international wrestler. Vasile and Daniel were invited to open t h e Southampton club by the BWA due to a high demand for clubs, which were thin on the ground in the south. Vasile, a former Romanian and international champion, spent eight years wrestling and training in Germany, while Daniel wrestled for three years in the USA. Vasile says it is common for coaches in the UK to come from overseas, par- ticularly Eastern Europe, where the sport is much more popular – for now. The club, which is held on Sunday mornings at St Mary’s Leisure Centre, opened in December and has been growing in popularity ever since. Vasile has at least two new members every week and is about to add an extra class to accommodate everyone. He is also set to open a club for jun- iors and, with the help of the BWA, expects to be holding competitions in Southampton by the end of the year as well as taking his students to international con- tests. Daniel and Vasile agree that the rising popularity of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has contributed greatly to the resurgence in interest in wrestling in the UK. A number of students at the class come from an MMA background. Paul Mason, a 33-year-old account- ant from Southampton, has been tak- ing part in MMA for years and finds Everyone thinks that if you’re a wrestler you’re dangerous but it’s part of your education for life Wrestling is one of the fastest growing sports in the south. SALLY CHURCH- WARD visits a new Southampton club to find out what all the fuss is about. GB crown for Emily... n BIATHLON SOUTHAMPTON’S Emily Jenkinson produced some of the best performances of the day at the Pentathlon GB Schools Modern Biathlon Championships finals in Crystal Palace. The Year 10 pupil at Portsmouth Grammar School became the country’s Under-15 champion. She collected the year 10 girls’ individual title as well as both the swim and running awards. It was the fifth year running she has won a national title. Jenkinson’s time of 2:56.20 for the 1000m run was more than five seconds quicker than the second fastest time of her year. The Hedge End starlet followed that up with a time of 1:01.28 – the quickest time in the pool by more than half a second. Her Crystal Palace successes continued some sparkling 2011 form. Jenkinson was crowned the country’s Under-15 800m indoor champion last month and in January she won the South of England title with a championship best performance. She is also Hampshire’s 50m freestyle swimming champion, achieving a national standard time. The Southampton Athletics Club member is also Hampshire 800m champion and the Hampshire Schools 800m champion. Next month she will be off on her third Aviva Future Stars training camp with her heroine, double Olympic gold medalist Dame Kelly Holmes, at Loughborough University. SIN BIN In the Latest Hants FA suspensions EMILY JENKINSON Mike Mallory (Alma Arms v Co-Op Dragons, Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Sunday League. First 5 Cautions. Fine £10. 7 days (from 28 Mar) Steve Brown (Alton Town v Brading Town. Wessex League. 10 Cautions in a Season. Fine £15. 2 matches (from 5 Apr) Tom Figueras (Alton Wanderers v Camberley Cougars.Aldershot & District Sunday League. Receiving a second caution in the same match. Fine £15. 7 days (from 5 Apr). IN TRAINING: Vasile Steffan. READY TO WRESTLE: Southampton Olympic members. Order no: 12097963 FORGET WWE THIS ,
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Transcript of Olympic Wrestling Team Article Mar 2011
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For up-to-the-minute news and information visit dailyecho.co.uk Wednesday, March 30, 201144
GOT A SPORTS STORY FOR US? EMAIL [email protected]
LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS COUNTDOWN
THE TRAINING ROOM wouldbe silent, if it werent for thesound of grunts and muffledsqueaks of trainers on themats.
The members of the SouthamptonOlympic Wrestling Club are more thanan hour into their session and donthave any spare energy for conversation.
Every drop they have is being spentattempting to force each other to theground.
The training is intense.Former Romanian international ath-
lete Daniel Vlad, chairman of thegroup, says that a two-hour trainingsession is the equivalent of a month ofgoing to the gym.
Theres probably some professionalpride in the statement, and
weightlifters would probably disagree.But he has a point.Its exhausting just watching. They
dont lift weights but train for twohours solid using each others weightand strength as resistance.
At one point they are lifting eachother from one side to the other,like a lumbering, lengthy jivedance.
Everyone comes in standingup and they go out doubled upbecause theyre so tired,laughs coachVasile Steffan, af e l l o wR o m a n i a ninternationalwrestler.
Vasile andDaniel wereinvited to opent h eSouthampton clubby the BWA due to ahigh demand for clubs, which werethin on the ground in the south.
Vasile, a former Romanian andinternational champion, spent eightyears wrestling and training inGermany, while Daniel wrestled forthree years in the USA.
Vasile says it is common for coachesin the UK to come from overseas, par-ticularly Eastern Europe, where thesport is much more popular for now.
T h e
cl u b,which isheld on Sundaymornings at St MarysLeisure Centre, opened inDecember and has beengrowing in popularity eversince. Vasile has at least twonew members every week and isabout to add an extra class toaccommodate everyone.
He is also set to open a club for jun-iors and, with the help of the BWA,expects to be holding competitions in
Southampton by theend of the year as wellas taking his studentsto international con-
tests.Daniel and Vasile agree
that the rising popularity of MixedMartial Arts (MMA) has contributedgreatly to the resurgence in interest inwrestling in the UK.
A number of students at the classcome from an MMA background.
Paul Mason, a 33-year-old account-ant from Southampton, has been tak-ing part in MMA for years and finds
Everyone thinks that if youre
a wrestler youre dangerous
but its part of your
education for life
Wrestling is one of the fastest growingsports in the south. SALLY CHURCH-WARD visits a new Southampton clubto find out what all the fuss is about.
GB crownfor Emily...nn BIATHLONSOUTHAMPTONS EmilyJenkinson produced someof the best performancesof the day at thePentathlon GB SchoolsModern BiathlonChampionships finals inCrystal Palace.
The Year 10 pupil atPortsmouth GrammarSchool became the countrysUnder-15 champion.
She collected the year 10girls individual title aswell as both the swim andrunning awards.
It was the fifth yearrunning she has won anational title.
Jenkinsons time of2:56.20 for the 1000m runwas more than fiveseconds quicker than thesecond fastest time of heryear.
The Hedge End starlet
followed that up with a timeof 1:01.28 the quickesttime in the pool by morethan half a second.
Her Crystal Palacesuccesses continued somesparkling 2011 form.
Jenkinson was crownedthe countrys Under-15800m indoor champion lastmonth and in January shewon the South of Englandtitle with a championshipbest performance.
She is also Hampshires50m freestyle swimmingchampion, achieving anational standard time.
The SouthamptonAthletics Club member isalso Hampshire 800mchampion and theHampshire Schools 800mchampion.
Next month she will be offon her third Aviva FutureStars training camp withher heroine, doubleOlympic gold medalistDame Kelly Holmes, atLoughborough University.
SINBIN
Inthe
BINBINLatest Hants FA
suspensions
EMILY JENKINSON
Mike Mallory (Alma Arms v Co-OpDragons, Portsmouth Royal DockyardSunday League. First 5 Cautions. Fine10. 7 days (from 28 Mar)
Steve Brown (Alton Town v BradingTown. Wessex League. 10 Cautions ina Season. Fine 15. 2 matches (from 5Apr)
Tom Figueras (Alton Wanderers vCamberley Cougars.Aldershot &District Sunday League. Receiving asecond caution in the same match.Fine 15. 7 days (from 5 Apr).
INTRAINING:
VasileSteffan.
READY TO WRESTLE: Southampton Olympic members. Order no: 12097963
FORGET WWE THIS,
