Mmm, Turkish street food

2011 World Championships - Istanbul, Turkey - September 12, 2011

I went to the arena today. Finally. Now, it feels like a wrestling trip. We had our first practice this morning before the first session of Greco-Roman. The Sinan Erdem (name of the venue) is quite spectacular. It's as large as any arena I've seen in the US and it had a great feel today. Those Turkish fans are excited!

Every trip/tour I'm a part of has its own unique feel. However, once we become aware of the culture and settle in, it quickly becomes business as usual. One of my favorite parts about tours is when we get on the mat for the first time. It's familiar territory and suddenly everything becomes clear. The wrestling circle is the same size everywhere in the world and the mats almost feel like a "sanctuary." Once the first workout is finished, we feel very comfortable. Even the city seems easier to navigate.

I'm very impressed with the locals here in Istanbul. They are extremely helpful and surprisingly nice. I was expecting a cold feeling from them, especially being American. It's been the exact opposite. Apparently, I look Turkish, but that's not why they're friendly. It's genuine. People make eye contact and smile and some even walk us to our destination - not all by our choice. I bought two bottles of counterfeit cologne/perfume today from a guy who insisted on walking with us. I bartered the guy down to the price of a Coke Light, so I figured they would be good gifts (don't tell anyone they're fakes). It happened on our way to the Grand Bazaar, which happened to be closed tonight. That's on the itinerary for tomorrow morning before a day full of practice, watching wrestling and making weight.

Dinner was an exciting time of the day for me. I ate dinner at a very hopping street vendor. The food was above average, but not out of this world. I had to experience it, though. Kabobs and a gyro-type thing that consisted of shaved lamb meat, fries and veggies all rolled into something that resembled a burrito. Stands like this one are literally on every street corner.

Something else that was interesting today was how an Iranian wrestler forfeited to an Israeli wrestler in the first round of competition. This happens frequently at international competitions. Since Iran doesn't recognize Israel as a country, they choose not to compete based on drastic political and religious difference. It was a little shocking that it actually happened today, though. This tournament has serious qualifying implications for the Olympic Games. In order to compete in the Olympics, countries are required to qualify each weight class in each style. The top 6 in this event earn a spot for the their country in the 2012 Games. The Iranian wrestler was almost a shoe-in to finish in the top 6, but he chose not to compete and did not place. The country will now have to qualify the weight through a difficult qualifying procedure. There are certainly bigger things in life than wrestling, but come on, this is the World Championships and there were plenty of "outs" before you got to the biggest stage on Earth.