Iowa City vies to host 2012 Olympic Trials

A group representing Iowa City, Coralville, the University of Iowa and the Eastern Iowa wrestling community will make its case to host the 2012 U.S. Olympic Wrestling and Weightlifting trials Wednesday at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. A panel consisting of members from the U.S. Olympic Committee, USA Wrestling and USA Weightlifting will oversee the presentation that is expected to last about 90 minutes.

Iowa City was one of three finalists, including Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Columbus, Ohio. In an earlier news release, the panel will attempt to determine a host site by Jan. 17. According to Laurie Haman of the Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, a group made up of Dan Gable, Tom Brands, Lincoln McIlravy, Iowa City Mayor Matt Hayek, Cornell Head Coach Mike Duroe, Anissa Wolfe, Matt Getz, Les Steenlage, of the UI, and ICCACVB President Josh Schamberger traveled to the USOTC for the presentation.

Iowa City seems to be a perfect site for wrestling and Olympic competition. Iowans hold a strong appreciation for the sport which demands hard work and toughness to be successful, sharing the same traits the of state's rich agricultural background.

“It's a pretty important event,” Brands said before Iowa City was named one of the three finalists out of the seven original bids. “The next highest level is the Olympic Games. It's a big deal.”

Before the Hawkeyes' 2010-11 season, Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been home to some of the largest crowds in college wrestling. According to the UI wrestling media guide, Iowa wrestling fans have allowed the Hawkeyes to be a part of 48 of the top 49 largest attended college dual meets. It also noted that 32 of those duals were against Iowa State University, showing Iowans from all across the state  support the sport. Iowa has set the national attendance 11 times.

Iowa City has hosted four dual meets that have drawn a crowd of more than 15,000, dating back to 1983's Iowa vs. Iowa State dual. In 2008, Iowa State's visit to Carver-Hawkeye Arena attracted a record 15,955 fans. Over a span of 25 years, support has remained constant in Iowa City, as the 25th-largest recorded crowd was 11,109 in 1991. The Hawkeyes led NCAA wrestling in dual attendance figures, averaging 8,125 fans over six duals with a season best 10,967 crowd for the Oklahoma State dual.

“I think there would be a lot of fans there,” former Hawkeye All-American Ryan Morningstar said. “This is what people live for and this is wrestling at the highest level in their backyard and people are going to go to it.”

Iowa City has been a gateway for many competitors with Olympic aspirations. Not only do the members of the community have tremendous experience with Olympic events and vast knowledge on how to highlight the nation's top wrestling and weightlifting talent.

Twenty UI athletes have competed in the Olympic Games or have earned spots on U.S. Olympic teams. It further demonstrates the connection Iowa City has had with Olympic hopefuls. Current Hawkeye head coach Tom Brands, Terry McCann, Randy Lewis and brothers Ed and Lou Banach went on to represent the U.S. and claim Olympic gold medals after wrestling in Iowa City. Hawkeyes associate head coach Terry Brands, once a coach for USA Wrestling, and Lincoln McIlravy both won bronze medals in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

Dan Gable, the legendary Hawkeyes coach, produced one of the most dominating Olympic performances in any sport winning a gold medal at the 1972 Munich Games. Gable didn't allow a single point to his opponents en route to winning the 149.5 championship.

“We have some great ties to our wrestling traditions at the University of Iowa, an embracing community, and a legacy, Dan Gable,” Haman said in November. “These are just three of the top reasons we feel confident that Iowa City is a good fit for the USA Olympic Trials.”

History and tradition make Iowa a perfect place to host the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials. The experience with Olympic sport competitors and their efforts make it an ideal location for USA Weightlifting as well, because individuals know exactly how to promote and showcase the world-level talent that will be competing.

Another attraction for many local fans will be the contingent of former Iowa, Iowa State and University of Northern Iowa wrestlers competing for Olympic spots.

Former Hawkeyes Brent Metcalf and Mike Zadick were members of the 2010 World Team that competed in Moscow, Russia. A number of Hawkeyes, including Morningstar, Dan Dennis, Phil Keddy and Dan Erekson will also be looking to be in the mix. Former UNI two-time All-American Moza Fay, a native of Anamosa, is currently training at the USOTC with the goal of competing in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. Iowa State's Trent and Travis Paulson have recently competed at the international level as well.

“I think its great,” Morningstar said. “Fans at Iowa are great and they'd have a good tournament. As far as the environment, it would be awesome.”

The venue has already held a number of marquee events over the years, including the NCAA Division I national tournament multiple times, a USA vs. Russia dual and the Big Ten Championships.

Iowa City is also in a very unique area that makes it easily accessible to fans from all over the country, being located directly off Interstate-80. Iowa City serves as a hub for large metropolitan areas in the Midwest such as Chicago, St. Louis, Mo., Kansas City, Mo., Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Wis., and Omaha, Neb. The region is one of the best in wrestling support and tradition.