#development

Mexico hosts post U20 Pan-American C'ships camp

By United World Wrestling Press

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (July 22) -- A training camp for U20 wrestlers was held from July 11 to 21, 2022, at the Mexican Olympic Sports Center (CDOM) in Mexico City.

The camp was held after the U20 Pan-American Championships which took place in Oaxtepec and it mainly focused on countries with fewer resources in the continent. The camp provided better conditions in search of their sports development.

This camp was held with the financial support of Pan-Am Sports and the collaboration of the Mexican Olympic Committee, United World Wrestling Americas, and the Mexican National Federation.

The camp was intended to provide continuity to the athletes participating in the I Junior Pan-American Games Cali-Valle 2021 and thus continue with the multidisciplinary development of athletes and coaches.

In the Mexican Olympic Training Center (CDOM), the necessary facilities were provided to develop all the activities. The facilities available were -- the Olympic wrestling gymnasium, the fitness gymnasium, the athletics field and track, the Olympic swimming pool, the PASO auditorium, and the common areas of the CDOM, among others.

The participants stayed within the CDOM facilities, with the activities carried out in the same sports complex, and the accommodation conditions were optimal for the rest and recovery of the athletes.

MEXAttendees gather on the mat at the Mexican Olympic Sports Center (CDOM) in Mexico City during the post-U20-Pan-American Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Various types of training sessions were carried out, including technical, tactical, and physical conditioning, among others. The sessions were programmed by style in the consensus of all the participating countries.

Coach Reza AZIMI, who is the head of the High Performance and Development Center for America (CARDA), was responsible for the planning.

An Athlete365 Carrer+ Workshop, a program of the International Olympic Committee that aims to educate athletes regarding their vision of the future once they finish their careers as athletes, was also held.

The delivery of this program was a success as all participants showed great willingness and interest, allowing smooth and dynamic results, to the extent that most participants requested additional information to continue with their development.

Dr. Viridiana Silva, COM's medical responsible and certified expert in Anti-Doping, gave a workshop on prevention in the use of substances and processes in the selection and taking of samples, among other topics.

In general terms, the camp was a great success since the fundamental objectives were achieved.

The coexistence between the different teams was harmonious and dynamic. In the words of the coaches and some athletes, the technical level was optimal and allowed an objective evaluation of the possibility of results for the new Olympic cycle.

#UnitedWorldWrestling

Paris Olympics: Wrestling breaks new barriers, expands reach across continents

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (August 22): More than half a million new fans in the digital community. An astounding 100 million engagements. And a remarkable 134 percent increase in social media impressions compared to Tokyo 2020.

At the Paris Olympics, it was a gold medal for wrestling.

UWW

On the mat, legends were born, records were set, and some moments would be remembered for ages. Off it, the sport broke new barriers, expanded its reach and engaged with a diverse audience as the United World Wrestling digital channels witnessed unprecedented growth during the Games.

The UWW’s online platforms recorded an impressive 11.2 percent increase in followers, adding over 508,000 new fans to its digital community. Compared to the growth in followers during the Tokyo Olympics, this figure represents a staggering 125 percent increase.

A large part of this surge was seen on Instagram, where the UWW gained 217,000 new followers. Facebook was a close second, adding 183,000 new followers while TikTok, the platform known for its short, engaging content, added 61,400 new followers. The growth across all platforms highlights the effectiveness of the UWW’s content strategy.

The inspiring clip of Greco-Roman star Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI), who won Iran’s first gold medal in the Paris Olympics drove the maximum engagement on Instagram. Saravi, who won a bronze medal in Tokyo, beat Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) 4-1 in the 97kg final.

Another Iranian, Rahman AMOUZAD, one of the most feared wrestlers in the 65 kg freestyle, went viral with a video in which he proclaimed himself the ‘king’. This post had the second-highest engagement while a slick clip of Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) was the third-most viewed, captivating the viewers and leading engagements as well as interactions.

These videos – and many others shared across UWW’s social media channels – resonated strongly with audiences, garnering record-breaking views. Overall, there were 330 million impressions, a remarkable rise of 134 percent compared to the Tokyo Olympics.

Moreover, the content also achieved 100 million engagements, and a 71 percent increase in reach compared to the previous Olympic Games. This surge in interaction underscores the high level of interest and excitement generated by UWW’s coverage of the Olympic wrestling events.

The video content drove UWW’s social media success. Across all platforms, UWW’s video content garnered over 156 million views, an extraordinary 205 percent increase compared to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

YouTube, in particular, saw significant traction with over 21 million views. This success was fueled by a mix of short and long-form videos apart from live streaming, with shorts emerging as the most popular content format.

With more than one million views, the YouTube video of AMAN (IND) getting his revenge over Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) with a win in the preliminary round. Aman, who won a bronze medal, had lost to Abakarov at the 2023 World Championships.

Chamizo’s video, Don't play with fire #WrestleParis, which went viral on Instagram was also a huge hit on YouTube with hundreds of thousands of viewers, making it the second-most watched video on the platform.

The Day Three highlights show which revisited one of the biggest upsets of the competition – Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) defeating Yui SUSAKI (JPN) in the women’s 50 kg first round – got the third-highest views on YouTube.

The UWW’s vibrant social media strategy was complemented by a robust email marketing campaign, which ran daily throughout the Olympic Games. The ongoing CRM campaigns helped boost engagement across Web, App and UWW+.