Army Secretary John McHugh, middle right, chats with soldier-athletes including Sgt. 1st Class Dremiel Byers, far right, during a recent visit to the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army photo)
Some quick Olympic updates while you attempt to schedule a therapy session after watching the latest Tim Kennedy video:
1. Hosting the secretary. It’s the setup to the oldest joke in the book: Some wrestlers, a racewalker, a bobsledder and the secretary of the Army walk into a cafeteria …
No, seriously — Army Secretary John McHugh made the trip to Colorado Springs, Colo., to chat with soldier-Olympians and Paralympic athletes over lunch May 2, giving him a close-up look at competitors who’ll represent his service on the world stage this summer. Tim Hipps of the Army’s Installation Management Command has the full report here, including snippets of conversations McHugh had with London-bound wrestlers Sgt. Spenser Mango and Sgt. 1st Class Dremiel Byers. (Byers identifies himself as a heavyweight. McHugh: “I can see that.”) McHugh also related his experience on a bobsled run at Lake Placid, N.Y., and praised the soldiers in the Army World Class Athlete Program for their commitment to both sport and service.
2. Web makeover. We’d prefer you get all your military Olympics news here, but if you absolutely, positively have to go somewhere else, check out the revamped WCAP Olympian site for full bios on all Army participants, including coaches. Tell them we sent you.
3. Lester’s spotlight. Speaking of elite Army athletes, Spc. Justin Lester added another title recently — the best U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler of 2011. Lester, who qualified for the Olympics in the 66-kilogram weight class last month in Iowa City, earned USA Wrestling’s Wrestler of the Year honors after winning U.S. Open titles in two weight classes (74 and 66 kg) in 2011. He also took fifth in the 66-kg class at the 2011 World Championships in Turkey, which qualified the U.S. for the Olympics in that weight class.
It was the first such honor for Lester. Fellow WCAP and Team USA wrestler Byers has won the award three times (2009, 2002, 1999).
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