US Olympic wrestling champion gets to grips with Yorkshire
Published: 12 September 2011
A US Olympic wrestling champion got to grips with a York Viking as part of a whirlwind tour of Yorkshire this weekend.
Henry Cejudo, from Colorado, took in the breathtaking Brimham Rocks before grappling with some of the county's famous tea at Bettys tearooms in Harrogate - where he also met Team GB Olympic hopefuls Caitlin Chang (Fencer - Harrogate), Jack Laugher (Diver - Harrogate/Ripon) and Luke Campbell (Boxer - Hull).
Cejudo, who won an Olympic gold medal at the Beijing Games, then headed back in time to go head-to-head with one of York's famous Vikings from the JORVIK Viking Centre - the perfect way of honing his skills ahead of next year's London 2012 Olympic Games.
His stop off in the county has been supported by Welcome to Yorkshire in partnership with Visit Britain and the U.S. Olympic Committee, which have been hosting Team USA athletes visiting different parts of the UK including Yorkshire.
Gary Verity, Chief Executive Welcome to Yorkshire, said: "Yorkshire has already got a big slice of the Olympic pie after securing a number of leading national teams to set up training camps across the county.
"So it's fantastic to be able to rollout the famous Yorkshire welcome to Henry and we are sure his visit is one that he will remember for many years. We hope he enjoyed the tea at Bettys and that his grapple with one of our York Vikings won't affect his chances at next year's games! Hopefully he'll be flying the flag for Yorkshire as a must-see destination for Americans when visiting the UK."
Henry said: "I've really enjoyed my visit to Yorkshire. There was so much to see and do here, and I never fully realized the rich history and culture of the county. As a part of this Team USA: Britain Bound trip, I've seen the beautiful countryside and tried new and amazing things. The experiences will stick with me as I train and prepare for the London 2012 Games. I truly look forward to coming back to Britain next summer!"
The trip was all part of Team USA: Britain Bound. The program sent seven U.S. Olympic and Paralympic champions to explore Britain as they prepare for the 2012 Games.
Visit Britain and Welcome to Yorkshire are playing key roles in helping make sure the tourism benefits of the Olympic Games next year are felt right across the country.
For more information on visiting Yorkshire see www.yorkshire.com/olympics
All of the US athletes' journeys are shared at www.TeamUSA.org/BritainBound
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Editors' Notes:
- Welcome to Yorkshire is the official destination management organisation for Yorkshire, working to grow the county's visitor economy.
- Welcome to Yorkshire is funded by Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency charged with improving the Yorkshire and Humber economy.
- Key facts include:
- Tourism in Yorkshire is worth £7 billion annually
- The county's industry employs almost a quarter of a million people
- There are 216 million visits to Yorkshire each year
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About Team USA: Britain Bound: With the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games less than one year away, seven Team USA Olympic and Paralympic champions are taking a short break from their training and setting off on memorable tours of Great Britain. While exploring the communities that will welcome the world next summer, the Team USA athletes will experience all that Britain has to offer - from the Olympic venues to the cultural and historical sites in England, Scotland and Wales. Over the next six months, they will be sharing their adventures at www.TeamUSA.org/BritainBound and through their personal Facebook and Twitter accounts. Please join Jeremy Campbell (Paralympic track & field), Henry Cejudo (wrestling), Bryan Clay (decathlon), Allison Jones (Paralympic cycling), Nastia Liukin (gymnastics), Heather Mitts (football) and Rebecca Soni (swimming) as they visit Britain and share their tour of the host nation with the world.
For further information contact:
Graham Poucher - Press Officer
Email: gpoucher@yorkshire.com
Direct Line: 0113 322 3578
Mobile: 07805 958728
Kathleen O'Connell
Visit Britain Press Officer
Email: kathleen.oconnell@visitbritain.org
Direct Line: 07528 511652