- Title: Wrestling champs weigh in a day before a Times Square match
- Date: 18th May 2016
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (MAY 18, 2016) (REUTERS) U.S. WORLD AND OLYMPIC FREESTYLE WRESTLING CHAMPION, JORDAN BURROUGHS, WALKING TO SCALE, GETTING WEIGHED IRANIAN WRESTLER, PEYMAN YARAHMADI, BEING INTRODUCED, WALKING TO SCALE AND GETTING WEIGHED, THEN POSING FOR PHOTOS WITH BURROUGHS THREE-TIME WORLD CHAMPION IN WRESTLING AND MEMBER OF U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM, ADELINE GRAY, BEING INTRODUCED, GETTING WEIGHED GRAY SHAKING HANDS WITH CANADIAN WRESTLER, JUSTINA DI STASIO (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRANIAN WRESTLING COACH, REZA LAGEH, SAYING: "U.S. and Iranian wrestling have always been united in saving wrestling and the Olympics, and we are doing it in Times Square to show the world that we're here wrestling to support the youth and also to support wrestling." COACH TAKING PHOTO (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF BEAT THE STREETS NY, MIKE NOVOGRATZ, SAYING: "Countries that are often seen as adversaries or foes can get together in sport and try to smash each other but then shake hands and hug and break bread." MEMBER OF U.S. OLYMPIC WRESTLING TEAM, J'DEN COX, WALKING TO SCALE, GETTING WEIGHED FREESTYLE WRESTLER FROM IRAN, MEISAM MOSTAFA-JOKAR, APPROACHING SCALE AND GETTING WEIGHED JOKAR AND COX SHAKING HANDS AND POSING FOR PHOTOS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF BEAT THE STREETS NY, MIKE NOVOGRATZ, SAYING: "We were greeted with love and hugs, and people love the Americans in Iran. And so it really changed my perception of the country, and I thought sport can do that. We're hoping to do that here in the U.S. I'm certain the Iranian fans don't need a lesson in wrestling education because they seem to be born with wrestling in their blood, and we'll probably have as many Iranian fans out there tomorrow as we have U.S. fans." VARIOUS OF WRESTLERS GETTING WEIGHED AND POSING FOR PHOTOS
- Embargoed: 2nd June 2016 23:11
- Keywords: Beat the Streets wrestling Times Square U.S. Iran wrestling champions
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Sport,Wrestling
- Reuters ID: LVA0014IC7KN3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Wrestlers gathered for a weigh-in in New York City on Wednesday (May 18), on the eve of the "Beat the Streets" wrestling match, bringing together champion wrestlers from around the world.
Wrestlers from the U.S. Olympic team and from Iran will square off in the middle of Times Square on Thursday (May 19).
"Countries that are often seen as adversaries or foes can get together in sport and try to smash each other but then shake hands and hug and break bread," said Mike Novogratz, chairman of Beat the Streets NY.
"We were greeted with love and hugs, and people love the Americans in Iran. And so it really changed my perception of the country, and I thought sport can do that. We're hoping to do that here in the U.S. I'm certain the Iranian fans don't need a lesson in wrestling education because they seem to be born with wrestling in their blood, and we'll probably have as many Iranian fans out there tomorrow as we have U.S. fans," he added.
U.S. Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs and Iranian wrestler Peyman Yarahmadi will compete in men's freestyle, and U.S. wrestler J'Den Cox and Iranian Meisam Mostafa-Jokar will square off.
Three-time world champion and member of the U.S. Olympic team Adeline Gray will battle it out with Canadian wrestler Justina Di Stasio.
Beat the Streets is a nonprofit whose mission is to develop the culture of wrestling in New York City. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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