Townsend Saunders

Townsend Saunders ( born April 20, 1967 in Torrance, California) is an American professional wrestler. He won a silver medal in free style at lightweight at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

Career

Townsend Saunders, nicknamed "Junior" Saunders, grew up in Torrance, where he attended high school. At this school he came to wrestle. He developed into an outstanding high school wrestler who won several championships in school free style on Californian level. After high school, he attended the California State University, Bakersfield. He was also active there as a wrestler and 1987 U.S. Masters students ( NCAA Champion ) in a lightweight. His coach was in those years Joe Seay.

In addition, "Junior" Saunders was a member of the renowned wrestler Sunkist Kids Clubs in Phoenix, Arizona. There he developed with coach Bobby Douglas to a world class wrestler.

"Junior" Saunders is married to Tricia Saunders, who was four times between 1992 and 1999 world champion in wrestling. The couple has three children and lives in White Sands.

Even during his playing days Townsend Saunders worked at Arizona State University as a wrestler trainer. He was also from 1992 for many years coach of the Sunkist Kids in Phoenix. In 2004, he was head coach of the U.S. Olympic teams of women. He is currently active in the leadership of the Arizona State University. He is also a board member of the American Association Ringer.

At the international level sporting successes of "Junior" Saunders began in 1991, winning the title at the Pan American Games Havana. He won in free style in a lightweight. Less successful was his start at the 1991 World Championships in Varna, for he came in lightweight only on the 15th Place.

In 1992 he won at the Pan American Championships at lightweight before Jesus E. Rodriguez Garzon of Cuba & Craig Roberts from Canada. Then he qualified in the way. Trials for the start of the Olympic Games in Barcelona. In Barcelona, ​​he came to the 7th place, where he was thrown from Olympic champion arsenic Fadsajew from the CIS out of the race (1:4 point defeat ).

At the 1993 World Championships in Toronto "Junior" Saunders missed the 4th place in the lightweight just a medal. But in this World Cup he scored a victory over German World and European Champion Alexander Leipold. At the World Championships in 1994 in Istanbul, he left early and finished only eleventh.

In 1995, "Junior" Saunders won again at the Pan American Games, held in Mar del Plata. He defeated it in the finals runner-up Jesus E. Rodriguez Garzon and Craig Roberts. At the World Championships this year in Atlanta, he came at lightweight to eighth place.

The greatest success in his career celebrated Townsend Saunders then at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He defeated there in lightweight Sanli Yüksel from Turkey, Craig Roberts and the reigning world champion from 1995 Araik Geworgjan from Armenia and was thus in the final against the Russians Vadim Bogijew. After a high-class final battle it stood at the end of 1:1, which have had to opt for a wrestler as the winner the judges. They did this for the benefit of Bogijew. Townsend Saunders won so the silver medal.

International success

(OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship, F = free style, L = Light weight, then to 68 kg body weight)

Swell

  • Journal The wrestler from 1990 to 1997
  • Website of the U.S. american. Ringer Association,
  • Website " www.iat.uni -leipzig.de "
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