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Saturday, August 15, 1998
Former Soviet athlete finds a new home in Texas
By GAGE HARTER
San Antonio Express-News
SAN ANTONIO -- Vaho Iagorachvili remembers the days he lived
like a king.
As one of the Soviet Union's top 10 athletes, Iagorachvili
had the money, the fame and most importantly, he had the respect.
Iagorachvili was one of the best modern pentathletes in the
world.
He had won the bronze medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and
the gold at the 1986 Goodwill Games. Iagorachvili held the Soviet
national title three times and was European champion in 1989.
""I was well-known," Iagorachvili, 34, said.
""I had everything."
But when Mikhail Gorbachev and the Communist Party were overthrown,
Iagorachvili was forced to return to his native Republic of Georgia.
There he found life without heat, running water and food.
Where there was so much hope, Iagorachvili encountered despair.
But in 1991, a chance meeting with American pentathlete Rob
Stull rejuvenated Iagorachvili.
Stull offered Iagorachvili a chance to come to America and
coach.
Iagorachvili jumped at the opportunity and seven years later,
he's representing the United States in international competition.
""I've lived here a long time," said Iagorachvili,
who's English is good. ""It does feel a little different.
But this is my home now."
And on Aug. 2, Iagorachvili represented the United States well
as he brought back a silver medal from the World Championships
in Mexico City.
""I knew this maybe was my last chance to win a medal,"
said Iagorachvili, who now lives in Austin. ""I wanted
to make sure I did my best."
Iagorachvili's silver was the first U.S. individual men's medal
since 1979 when Bob Nieman won the gold at the world championship.
The United States has claimed two individual silvers and two
bronzes in the Olympics since 1932.
The U.S. team also has four team Olympic medals, the most recent
coming in 1984 in Los Angeles.
Modern pentathlon is a creation of Baron Pierre de Coubertin,
the father of the modern Olympic movement. He patterned the sport
after the duties of a Napoleon-era courier.
Modern pentathlon was created as the ultimate challenge for
a soldier ordered to deliver a message.
At its highest level, the sport consists of 20 air-pistol shots
from 10 meters, a 200-meter swim, a round-robin fencing tournament,
equestrian show-jumping and a three-kilometer run.
What surprised many people about Iagorachvili's performance
was that he retired in March to pursue other options.
""I have to work to pay my bills," Iagorachvili
said. ""It's hard to earn a living and train. But (U.S.
national team) coach (Victor Svatenko) asked me to come back so
I did."
Iagorachvili went to Colorado Springs, Colo., to train for
four weeks before the championships.
Iagorachvili said he'll retire again and go back to work as
a physical education instructor at Austin Community College.
""I have no other choice," Iagorachvili said.
""I have two children and a family to think about."
Unfortunately, lack of money is a major problem in the development
of modern pentathletes in the United States.
USA Pentathlon, the governing body for U.S. pentathletes, is
based in San Antonio and receives funding primarily from the United
States Olympic Committee.
""Our athlete support is one of the best," said
Stull, who is the executive director of USA Pentathlon. ""About
15 percent of our $400,000 budget goes directly in the pockets
of our athletes."
But that percentage is about to by sliced as women will now
compete in the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia.
""It's hard, we would like to help more," Stull
said. ""We need to find more continual resources."
USA Pentathlon also needs to find a training facility.
From 1948 to 1986, the U.S. pentathlon training center was
at Fort Sam Houston and funded by the U.S. Army.
Fort Sam Houston continued to provide its training center even
after the Army stopped its funding of the sport.
In November, however, USA Pentathlon lost Fort Sam Houston
and now has its athletes train in various centers.
""We just need to find a permanent facility,"
Stull said. ""I want to give San Antonio every chance
to be that place."
As for the future of the sport, Stull said there are a few
youth programs intact.
Alamo Heights High School operates a program for beginners.
USA Pentathlon is negotiating with Palo Alto College to start
a college-aged program. And this summer 86 youths competed in
the junior nationals at Camp Stewart in Hunt.
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Distributed by The Associated Press
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