U.S. wrestling team arrives in Iran

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Shunning U.S.-Iranian diplomatic tensions, a three-member American freestyle wrestling team arrived Wednesday in Tehran for the Takhti Cup, hoping to take home three medals.

"This is a lifetime opportunity," the U.S. team coach, Don Russell, told The Associated Press. "The Iranian wrestlers are great. I am very pleased to be here."

Russell arrived in Iran last week with four American Greco-Roman wrestlers.

The freestyle matches will be in Tehran May 22-23, while the Greco-Roman bouts in the Takhti Cup were held last week in Sanandaj, 510 kilometers (315 miles) west of the Iranian capital.

The U.S. wrestlers are competing in Iran despite Iran's boycott of last week's World Cup in the United States and the 2003 World Cup Wrestling Championships in Boise, Idaho, two months ago.

"We should not mingle politics with sports," Russell said on his arrival last week.

Iran boycotted the U.S. wrestling competitions because of a U.S. policy requiring team members to be fingerprinted on entering the United States.

Iran and the United States have not had diplomatic relations since the 1979 Islamic revolution that overthrew the U.S.-backed Shah of Iran and the takeover that year of the U.S. Embassy by Iranian militants who took dozens of Americans as hostages.

The three freestyle wrestlers -- Brian Cack, Andy Horvath and Dean Morrison -- will train at Shahid Shiroudi Sports complex in the Iranian capital, before the competition begins Friday.

Fifteen teams have pulled out of the May 22-23 tournament because of the turbulent situation in the Middle East, organizers said.

Iranian wrestlers have won many Olympic medals in a nation that is passionate about the sport.

 

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