After this week is through, the 2026 United States World Team will, at last, remain static at home until it is time for them to depart to Kazakhstan.
This past Monday, the US World Team ventured out east to Lake Placid, New York for their final training camp outside of the Olympic Training Center’s friendly confines. The objective of the Lake Placid camp — as described below by US National Team head coach Herb House — is to impart upon the athletes additional modalities pertaining to strategy, in-match adjustments, technical corrections, and general game-planning.
There is also an emotional connection to the spot. In 1980, Lake Placid was the location for the famous “Miracle on Ice” performance by the US hockey team at the Winter Olympics. So heralded is the story that numerous documentaries and one major motion picture (aptly titled Miracle) are available for those unfamiliar with the topic. And it is in the vein of that US hockey team’s improbable achievement that House likens the Greco contingent – as underdogs who are capable of turning an entire narrative upside down for all to see.
Other items are tackled, as well. Last month, two members of the World Team — Otto Black (67 kg, NYAC) and Beka Melelashvili (87 kg, NYAC) — earned medals at the historically-tough Wladyslav Pytlasinski Memorial in Poland. Just as importantly, if not more so, Aidan Squier (87 kg, NMU/NTS) came away with bronze at the U20 World Championships. House speaks on these developments first before zeroing in on the current Lake Placid World Team camp.
USNT Head Coach Herb House
Lake Placid Camp Report
5PM: We had three medalists in Poland and two of the three medalists are current World Team members. What were you most encouraged by particularly when it comes to Otto and Beka?
Coach Herb House: The most important thing that we saw is that their par terre has improved dramatically, especially those two World Team members. They’re attacking from top and they are comfortable. They’re very comfortable right now. They believe that they can win and I have a lot of confidence in both of those guys that they will perform at their best when the time comes at the World Championships. It is like they believe, I’m #1, I should win a World title. I love that energy. I love that they think they should be World champs. Their confidence, determination, and hard work are paying off.
5PM: Both Xavier and Benji had tough competition in front of them at the tournament. Neither wound up with a medal but I imagine that you had to like how they competed.
HH: The biggest thing that I liked from those two is that they learned to adapt to the styles they were seeing. One thing we need to do is making sure that we balance it out, to make sure that we have a game plan and know what we’re doing going into the match. Both of those guys did great . I think that they both had strong tournaments and there are some things that we will look to fix in Lake Placid. We have actually already started working on those. Borrero and I pulled video to start reviewing the mistakes and what we can do to fix them before the World Championships. But I was impressed with both of them. They beat some good opponents and lost matches we could have won. I mean, hey, we’ll get there. It just takes time to get there.
5PM: Tim Young went 1-2 in the tournament and he has had to gather some more international experience during this training cycle for the World tournament. I think that he has had to get used to how these 97’s overseas feel compared to domestics. What do you think are the principle items he needs to work on as we move to a month out from the Worlds?
HH: I think with Tim that he needs to work on his feet and how to pummel, and how to score on the feet against these guys. I want to see more attacks from Tim. I want to see him use his pummeling skills. He is a really different type of wrestler in that he draws a lot from his folkstyle background. I want to see him use that folkstyle approach a little bit better as far as blending it into his Greco. He has to get his identity, he has to have a plan. He has to have a go-to that he can rely on to score when he needs to.
5PM: How was the back-end of the trip as far as training was concerned?
HH: The training went great. There were some good teams and it wasn’t too overwhelming. It was just enough for us. For us to close out this part of the training block, it was just enough for us. I’m not saying that it was easy because we did have Ukraine, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Norway, Sweden, and Poland. I mean, there were high-profile competitors at this tournament, and I think that was what we needed to close out our season and prepare for the World Championships. There were no injuries, everyone had a productive time training, and we didn’t stay too long. We stayed long enough to get some feels, get some matches in, and then come home with more time to continue preparing for the World Championships.
5PM: We had a U20 World medalist in Aidan Squier and some strong matches at U20 from other guys, such as Amryn Nutter. How was Aidan’s bronze viewed given that last year was a down year for the US at the U20 Worlds?
HH: It’s funny. So last year, we didn’t get any medals. This year, when Aidan was going at the tournament, we were in the wrestling room during World Team camp and we put the tournament on the TV. We all pooled around the TV and everyone was watching. Everyone was moving around, making faces, and screaming at the TV. The second period comes during the bronze match and he was down 6-0. We were on edge. Then he got the bodylock and it was 6-4. He gets the passivity, it’s 6-5. Then he gets the lift out of bounds and it was 6-6. Everyone in the room was screaming. Anytime that we can get results and there is that kind of improvement, we love to see it. I think that it motivated the athletes. A lot of guys were thrilled to see him earn a medal, and I was, too. Our program is all about how we move forward. So long as we do better than we did the year before, that is what I look for. I always want to go forward, I never want to go backwards.
5PM: What are the main goals that you’re trying to accomplish at the camp in Lake Placid?
Coach Herb House: Just how we can better prep for Worlds. Our strategies, our game plans… If specific situations unfold during matches, how will we address them? We have to have a game plan. You can’t just say, I’m just going to go out there and see how it goes. No, that isn’t going to work. We’re going to watch a lot of video, review technique, and fix every individual detail that we, as National and personal coaches, feel need to be corrected as we move closer to the World Championships. We’re still going to do our conditioning, we’re still going to be lifting, and we are also going to be bonding more as a Team.
The reason why I picked this location is because it is where the 1980 Miracle on Ice USA Hockey team played. And I feel like, with the movie Miracle, that it reminds me of our Greco Team. We’re the underdogs. Everyone doubts us, and I feel like this is the year that we show the world who the United States Greco Team is. We’re going to watch the movie and I want to get them motivated and ready to go to the World Championships and bring home some medals.
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