Tracy Press

“I felt like the sport needed it, and I was the guy to write it.”

— Nicholas Hopping, Author of “The Silent Gladiators”

West High School graduate Nicholas Hopping’s book, “The Silent Gladiators,” is published by Beverly Hills Publishing and can be purchased online via Amazon.com. Courtesy photo

When West High graduate Nicholas Hopping joined the U.S. Olympic Committee’s marketing and promotions department in 2003, it put him right where he wanted to be.

Right out of college, he was set to travel with the nation’s top wrestlers on their way to New York for the 2003 Freestyle Wrestling World Championship in Madison Square Garden.

Hopping established his passion for wrestling at West High during his senior year in 1998 and then for four more years at Modesto Junior College and California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. His trip to New York reaffirmed his commitment to the sport.

“From there, I decided I wanted to write a book about Olympic athletes,” Hopping said. “I felt like the sport needed it, and I was the guy to write it.”

For his new book, “The Silent Gladiators,” Hopping followed the team headed for the 2004 Olympics in Athens through a year at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado and then to the games. He got to know gold medalist Cael Sanderson, silver medalists Steven Abas and Jamill Kelly, and four other team members.

Hopping starts his book with his description of the dedication and commitment needed to succeed in the one-on-one battles at the core of freestyle wrestling. He set out to tell the stories from the Olympic trials in Las Vegas and the competition in Athens.

“I basically observed them at the Olympic Training Center and sometimes trained with them,” he said. “I really wanted to watch these guys through the year.”

His goal is to let readers see the passion that goes into a sport that doesn’t get the media recognition or financial backing of America’s popular sports, like football, basketball or baseball.

He added that he expects some controversy if the Olympic Committee and USA Wrestling have hard feelings about his comparison of the support for U.S. wrestlers versus the support the Russian government gives its wrestlers.

“These U.S. wrestlers are not making any money at all,” he said. “The legitimacy of the sport is there, but somehow it’s not promoted right.”

He said his writing style was more suited to newspaper articles and essays before he went back to arrange all of his material in book form. That took more interviews and travels across the U.S. to meet again with the athletes, their families and their coaches.

“I had to go back and do research up until about four months ago,” he said, adding that while it took longer than he expected, he got the book out in time for the Beijing Olympics in August.

• We want to hear what you have to say. Comment on this story at www.tracypress.com, or to reach Sports Editor Bob Brownne, call 830-4227 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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written by amy , June 25, 2008

So many talents in Tracy!!!!

Congratulations on your book, will be looking forward to reading it!

-amy

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written by Curb Stomp , June 26, 2008

You won't read it, filthy hypocrite.

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written by amy , June 26, 2008

Can you at least say something nice for author's benefit?

Have you read it? How do you know I won't read it? It is not on the shelf yet, have to order it through Amazon.

I don't know what your vendetta is with me, never gave you a hard time or anything, say anything you want to me here, purge yourself, maybe you will feel better having other readers read your hate comments?

-amy

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written by amy , June 26, 2008

Curb Stomper is fitting name for such a pessimist?

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written by amy , June 26, 2008

Go ahead, purge, you kept seeking my attention?

-amy