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Article contributed by Wayne Catan
March 2004

Former Blair Star Has Sights Set on 2004 Olympic Games

STEVE MOCCO’S QUEST FOR ATHENS BEGINS NOW!

Steve Mocco has arrived on the Olympic scene. He arrived without taking a long trip, either. Some might say he is unproven; others say he is proven. Here’s the argument for both 1.) Against: Steve Mocco has yet to compete in the Senior Nationals...he has not wrestled reigning heavyweight champion Kerry McCoy...nor has he wrestled Brian Keck and Tolly Thompson, who round out the top-three heavyweights in the USA.

Not so fast doubters. Here’s the argument that Steve is proven:

2.) This year, his Olympic red-shirt year, Steve has beaten several world medalists, including Sven Thiele of Germany (1995, silver), 1997 World champion Kuramagomed Kuramagomedov and Aleksi Modebadze of Georgia, who placed 10th in the 2000 Olympic Games. Mocco didn’t just squeak by these top-tier opponents–he beat Modebadze 4-0, spiked Kuramagomedov 4-1 and pinned Thiele. He beat Kuramagomedov at the Ivan Yarygin Cup in Moscow this past November on his way to a second place finish. He still has work to do, though. Mocco fell in the finals of the Yarygin Cup to 1998 world champion and five-time world and Olympic medalist Alexis Rodriguez of Cuba 4-0. Overall, it was a great showing for the young Mocco.

At Blair
Steve Mocco is a former four-time national prep champion, three-time jr. national champion and NCAA champion who wants a gold medal in Athens, and that’s why he took an Olympic red-shirt and is training 2-3 times a day—every day. Mocco trains out of Colorado Springs at the OTC (Olympic Training Center), at the University of Iowa and in Edinboro, Penn. with four-time Olympic medalist Bruce Baumgartner.

According to Steve nothing will get in his way (of winning an Olympic medal): “I took this year off to win the gold medal in Athens...not silver...not bronze. I am working really hard and have some really good workout partners, including Rulon Gardner, who helps me with my par terre,” Mocco said. Steve practices with Gardner in Colorado Springs where they wrestle both styles—freestyle and Greco-Roman. (Gardner, of course, is the 2000 Olympic champion.)

The training is working. This February, Mocco won a gold medal at the Dave Schultz Memorial International, which was held in Color Springs. It was at the Schultz Memorial that Steve defeated a tough Georgian, David Otiashvili, 10-3 and pinned the German, Thiele in the finals.

Steve is getting better at par terre and is working on his leg shots more. The par terre (mat wrestling) has to be attributed to his work with Gardner.

If you can believe it, Steve is also getting stronger. He says Tom Brands (Iowa coach and Olympic champion) is helping him in the weight room. In addition, Tom Doyle (Iowa strength coach) is pushing Steve with the weights and when he’s in Colorado Springs he works with the training center’s weight coach.

After the Olympics, Steve wants to finish what he started...i.e., NCAA wrestling. He wants to win two more NCAA titles to go along with his one title and runner-up finish. For now, all eyes are focused on Athens, Greece...the birthplace of wrestling. And, Steve Mocco’s international career has just been hatched.