#Tokyo2020

Nenad Lalovic: A Message to the Wrestling Community

Friday, March 6, 2020 - 17:35 By United World Wrestling Press

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Dear Wrestling Community,

 

With the recent outbreak of COVID-19 the worldwide wrestling community has been asked to accommodate a number of adjustments to their competition schedules, including changes to the dates and locations of important Olympic Qualification events.

 

While the developments remain out of control; our staff, bureau members, national federations, and continental leadership are working to find reasonable solutions. Our top priority is to protect the health of our athletes while also ensuring that qualification events for Tokyo 2020 are being planned in a way that respects their training regimens. It is of the utmost importance that the qualifying for Tokyo2020 takes place on the field of play. Wrestling is proud to boast the world’s toughest athletes and there is no question that these recent developments will only strengthen our community’s resolve.

 

Bureau Members, Executive Board members, staff and I are in continuous communication with our partners at the International Olympic Committee and we are dedicated to creating solutions that preserves our qualification system and keeps the public’s health in consideration. We are completely aligned with the IOC heading to Tokyo with confidence.

 

For up-to-date information about our response to the global outbreak of COVID-19 and its impact on our events, please be sure to consult our website homepage and our various social media channels listed below. The IOC has also opened up its athlete portal Athlete365 for updating information about Tokyo 2020 and the impact of global travel restrictions.

 

I want to thank our millions of athletes, fans, and coaches worldwide for their patience and understanding during these past few months. Together we will get past these complicated times and once again enjoy the world’s Oldest and Greatest sport in the leadup to Tokyo 2020.

 

Nenad Lalovic

President, United World Wrestling

Executive Board Member, International Olympic Committee

 

 

Athlete365: https://www.olympic.org/athlete365/

Development

More Than Medals Americas wraps up in Rio de Janeiro

Tuesday, July 8, 2025 - 14:07 By United World Wrestling Press

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (July 8) — With young athletes at the center of United World Wrestling’s development strategy, the 2025 edition of *More Than Medals Americas* was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 23rd to 29th, following the U17 Pan-American Championships.

Over the course of seven days, 46 wrestlers and 10 coaches from 11 countries came together for a full program of training sessions, educational workshops, cultural excursions, and recreational activities making this a comprehensive experience beyond the mat.

Held at the state-of-the-art facilities of CEFAN (Centro de Educação Física Almirante Adalberto Nunes), the camp kicked off with a vibrant opening ceremony, attended by Brazilian Wrestling Federation President Flavio Cabral and UWW Education Director Zach Erret. The schedule included three daily meals, on-site accommodation, and seamless logistics that contributed to the event's success.

Among the educational highlights were sessions on safe sport, mental health, injury prevention, and anti-doping each delivered by expert facilitators in a format designed to foster active participation from the athletes. These workshops aimed to equip young wrestlers not only with athletic tools but with life skills as well.

The technical sessions were held on four official mats, strength training, and physical conditioning. Coaches collaborated in a joint planning meeting to create an integrated training environment, where athletes learned from each other’s styles and backgrounds.

Outside the gym, participants explored the iconic city of Rio de Janeiro. They visited Sugarloaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer, and the historic Maracanã Stadium. An ecological outing to Copacabana Beach was also part of the program, emphasizing environmental awareness—even if a planned cleanup was rendered unnecessary thanks to local conservation efforts.

This edition of *More Than Medals* once again demonstrated the transformative power of sport. Participants described the experience as “great,” and organizers emphasized that the success of the program lies in its ability to holistically nurture the next generation of wrestlers not just as athletes, but as global citizens.