COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The U.S. Olympic Committee’s 12 for ’12 media teleconference series will continue on Wednesday (Oct. 12) with a special Pan American Games edition featuring U.S. Pan American Games Chef de Mission Alan Ashley, world champion wrestler Jordan Burroughs (Sicklerville, N.J.) and three-time Olympic water polo player Brenda Villa (Commerce, Calif.) at 12 p.m. ET. Both athletes will be competing for Team USA at the XVI Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, which commence Oct. 14.
Listen to the call below
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Ashley is both the Chef de Mission for the U.S. delegation at the 2011 Pan American Games and the chief of sport performance for the U.S. Olympic Committee. As the Chef de Mission, Ashley will provide overall leadership to Team USA and function as the liaison between the Organizing Committee of the Pan American Games (COPAG), the Pan American Sports Organization and other National Olympic Committees at the Games. Meanwhile, in his role at the USOC, Ashley’s division is responsible for the preparation and execution of all activities of Team USA related to the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games.
U.S. men’s wrestling freestyle star Burroughs burst onto the world scene this year after completing a successful college career at the University of Nebraska. In 2011, he became the first Cornhusker wrestler to win two NCAA titles, and was named the Dan Hodge Trophy winner as the nation’s top college wrestler. Upon graduating, Burroughs quickly climbed to No. 1 at his weight class in the U.S. He won both the U.S. Open and the U.S. World Team Trials to qualify for his first senior world team. His breakthrough performance at the 2011 World Championships won him the gold medal at 74kg. He is the first U.S. men’s freestyle world champion since 2006, and the first to win an NCAA title and a world title the same year since 1999.
Meanwhile, Villa is the most decorated athlete in the world of women’s water polo and is looking to become one of the first U.S. athletes to play in four Olympic Games for the sport. She has been part of the national team since 1998 and has competed and medaled in every Olympic Games since water polo was added in 2000. Villa is a graduate of Stanford University, where she was a three-time All-American and winner of the 2002 Peter J. Cutino Award at the top female college water polo player in the U.S. The U.S. squad has a lot at stake at the Pan Ams; if Team USA defends its Pan American title, it will qualify for London.
The 12 for ’12 media teleconference series provides media with an opportunity to interact with top Olympic hopefuls at critical moments in their journey to represent Team USA at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The teleconferences run monthly through July 12, 2012, and will take place on or around the 12th of each month.
