For eight years, Kerry McCoy failed in his chase to win Olympic gold as a wrestler.
He hopes he has better results as a coach.
The University of Maryland coach who placed fifth at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and seventh at the 2004 games in Athens, will try to fulfill his golden goal as coach of the U.S. freestyle team.
“The most important thing for me right now is to help the U.S. be as successful as it can be in Beijing,” McCoy, 34, said. “This experience will be bittersweet for me because I would love the chance to win a medal on the mat, but I?m also excited about helping the wrestlers on this team bring home a medal.”
McCoy, who had 150-18 career record as a wrestler at Penn State from 1994-97, said the U.S. has a good chance of leaving with a medal, but its color will largely depend on it beating Russia.
The Russians dominated the Freestyle World Championships last September as they won six of the seven weight classes. The U.S. placed fourth in the competition, behind Turkey and Cuba. The U.S. also enters next month?s games with just one wrestler who has Olympic experience ? Daniel Cormier, who placed fourth in Athens in 2004. Cormier, who will compete in the 96 kilogram class next month, won the bronze medal at the World Championships last year.
“Russia is the world champion for a reason,” McCoy said. “But I feel every one of our wrestlers have a chance to medal.”
But McCoy won?t be the only Marylander watching from the side of the mat. Jay Antonelli, a 1992 graduate of the Naval Academy, will guide the country?s Greco-Roman squad that is considered the favorite to win gold after defeating Russia, Georgia and Iran at the World Championships last year.
Antonelli, a 38-year-old major in the Marine Corps who has served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, is stationed in Suffolk, Va.
“I feel fortunate to be able to represent our country on so many levels,” said Antonelli, a two-year letter winner for the Midshipmen who also helped coach the U.S. team in 2000.
The U.S. Greco-Roman team is led by reigning world silver medalist Brad Vering (84 kg) and bronze medalist Dremiel Byers (120 kg). Vering is on his second Olympic team, but Byers made the team for the first time after placing second to 2000 gold medalist Rulon Gardner at the U.S. trials in 2004.
“This team has a lot of depth,” Antonelli said. “It is going to take each wrestler scoring points to win against many of the former Soviet Union countries where wrestling is a way of life.”
