Jr. World Freestyle Wrestling Championships set for Primm

SUN AND WIRE REPORTS

USA Wrestling is hoping the recent gold medal winning performance at the Goodwill Games rubs off when Team USA brings one of its most talented and experienced younger teams to the 16th Junior World Freestyle Wrestling Championships beginning Friday at the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm.

Team USA has three returning members from last year's fifth place team as more than 40 nations, including the top four finishing countries from last year (Russia, Iran, Turkey and the Ukraine) will be among the countries competing in the four-day event.

Among the other countries expected to challenge for the team and individual gold medals are Armenia, Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, and Spain.

More than 250 athletes will compete in 10 weight divisions in the event, which is being co-produced by USA Wrestling and the Las Vegas Organizing Committee. It is sanctioned by FILA, the international governing body for the sport.

The championships for the world's top 17-20 year-old freestyle wrestlers will be split into eight sessions, with a morning and evening session each day. The morning sessions will start at 9:30 a.m. each day. The evening sessions will start at 5 p.m. (Friday), 6 p.m. (Saturday) and 5 p.m. (Sunday), and the finals will begin at 4 p.m. Monday.

Ticket prices are as follows:

All-session general admission tickets: adults, $60 floor, $40 balcony; students, $40 floor, $20 balcony.

Individual session general admission tickets: adults, $10 floor, $7 balcony; students, $7 floor, $5 balcony.

Tickets for the championship finals will be adults, $15 floor, $10 balcony; students, $10 floor, $7 balcony.

For more information, contact the Las Vegas Organizing Committee at 735-LVOC.

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