Scientific Commission

Scientific Commission Meets in Slovakia

By United World Wrestling Press

TRNAVA, Slovakia (September 18) -- The United World Wrestling Scientific Commission held a meeting this week during the Junior World Championships. Eight members of the commission took part in this important annual meeting and discussed a wide range of topics.

Commission chair Daulet TURLYKHANOV commenced the meeting and welcomed the participants as commission secretary David CURBY helped facilitate the discussion.

Key points discussed included advanced-level coaches further education, potential UWW scientific commission certified wrestling specific sports science programs and coaching courses, collaboration in building wrestling online research database, and the possibility of hosting an integrated wrestling symposium together with other UWW commissions prior to Tokyo Olympic Games.

The meeting concluded on a successful note with all participating members.

Pictured:

Front Row from left: Barna Tibor (HUN), Harold Tünnemann (GER), Lei Liang (CHN), David Curby (USA)Back Row from left: Mario Baić (CRO), Ioannis Barbas (GRE), Daulet Turlykhanov (KAZ), Celal Taskiran TUR), Didier Sauvaire (FRA)

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Cuba’s Trujillo Diaz honored with IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (November 24) — Wrestling coach Raul TRUJILLO DIAZ (CUB) received the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award on Monday during a ceremony at the Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The award was presented by IOC President Kirsty COVENTRY and Sergii BUBKA, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission.

Trujillo Díaz has been one of the key figures in the inexorable rise of Cuba as one of the leading nations in Greco-Roman, with more than 52 years of coaching experience. He coached the Cuban and Portuguese national teams across five editions of the Olympic Games.

Cuba

“I am very honoured to receive this extraordinary recognition, Trujillo Diaz said. “I would like to thank the IOC, all the athletes I have coached over the past 50 years, the other wrestling coaches and people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes in the sport to which I have dedicated my life. All were my motivation and example. I also want to take the opportunity to thank United World Wrestling (UWW). And a big thank-you to someone very special who has always been with me – my family – for their great support.”

One of the legends he has trained is five-time Olympic champion Mijain LOPEZ (CUB), who at Paris 2024 became the first athlete in any sport to win five consecutive Olympic gold medals in the same event. Others who have been trained by Trujillo Diaz are Rio 2016 champion Ismael BORRERO (CUB) and Luis ORTA (CUB), the 60kg champion at Tokyo 2020.

As well as introducing training innovations that have helped lead his nation to success, Trujillo Díaz has published numerous research papers and articles on wrestling science and pedagogy. He has also worked widely for UWW across Latin America as an educator, bringing the breadth of his knowledge and experience to new generations of athletes and coaches.

Alongwith Truillo Diaz, volleyball coach Lang PING also received the IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award.

"It's really special to be here with all of you and to celebrate our two coaches for their incredible commitment and their lifetime of work in serving their athletes to become the best athlete, but also the best humans that they can be," said IOC President Kirsty Coventry during the ceremony. "So many of us who compete in sport know and understand that the lessons that we learn in sport will guide us in our everyday life after and this is where the role of coaches is so important,” she added.