U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program

U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program
U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program
	World Class Athlete Program
Active	1997 – present
Country	United States of America
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army
Part of	Department of Defense; Department of the Army; Installation Management Command Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command
Nickname(s)	WCAP

The U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) is a military unit whose primary mission is to support nationally and internationally ranked soldiers in participating on the U.S. Olympic team. The program is headquartered at Fort Carson, Colorado.^[1]

Objectives

According to the U.S. Army, WCAP provides active duty, national guard and reserve soldiers the opportunity to train and compete at national and international sports competitions with the ultimate goal of selection to the United States Olympic Team and Paralympic Games, while maintaining a professional military career and promoting the U.S. Army.^[1]

Selection

Any soldier-athlete (Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve) may apply for selection provided:

Soldier is in good military standing
The sport the soldier is applying for is an Olympic Sport
Soldier has completed Advanced Individual Training (enlisted) or Officer Basic Course (officer)
Soldier meets sport specific entry standards, which normally consists of attaining a high national ranking or being selected to a US National Team for international competition^[2]^[3]
WCAP is not a developmental program; it targets athletes who have achieved world class status in their sport.

Army National Guard Outstanding Athlete Program, 2010 Winter Olympics.
U.S. Army's World Class Athlete Program, 2004 Summer Olympics.
U.S. Army's World Class Athlete Program, 2004 Summer Olympics.
2009 U.S. National Boxing Championships.
Army World Class Athlete Program, 2010 World Team Trials for USA Wrestling.
Army World Class Athlete Program Olympic biathlete Jeremy Teela practicin.
U.S. Biathlon World Team Trials in Coleraine, Minnesota.
WCAP athletes sign autographs for fans, 2009 AUSA Conference.

WCAP Olympians

2012

The Program sent 7 athletes and 4 coaches to the 2012 Summer Games in London.^[4]

Sergeant First Class Dremiel Byers, Greco-Roman wrestling, 120kg
Sgt. 1st Class Keith Sanderson, rapid fire pistol
Sgt. 1st Class Daryl Szarenski, pistol
Staff Sgt. John Nunn, 50 km racewalk
SPC Justin Lester, Greco-Roman wrestling
Sgt. Spenser Mango, Greco-Roman wrestling
SPC Dennis Bowsher, Modern Pentathlon

2010

File:WCAP39.jpg

Maj. Michael Anti (left), a marksman with the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program assigned to the U.S. Army Marskmanship Unit at Fort Benning, Ga., flashes his silver medal alongside gold medalist Zhanbo Jia of China (center) and bronze medalist Christian Planer (right) of Austria after completion of the men's 50-meter rifle three-position event in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games at Markopoulo Olympic Shooting Centre.^[5]

During the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games three soldier-athletes and one coach represented WCAP and the US Army in the XXI Olympiad.^[6]

SGT Jeremy Teela (Biathlon)

-10k Sprint^[7]

SGT John Napier (Bobsled)

-4-man USA Sled II Pilot

1LT Christopher Fogt (Bobsled)

-4-man USA Sled II Brakeman^[8]

SGT William Tavares (Team USA Bobsled Coach)

2008

During the 2008 Beijing Summer Games two WCAP athletes and one coach represented WCAP and the US Army in the XXIX Olympiad:^[9]

MAJ Michael Anti (Shooting)

-50m Rifle Competition

SSG Dremiel Byers (Greco-Roman Wrestling)

-Heavyweight

SSG Keith Sanderson (Shooting)

-Rapid Fire Pistol competition

MAJ David Johnson (Team USA Shooting Coach)

Other notable WCAP alumni

CAPTAIN Boyd Melson (Boxing)

-2004 World Military Boxing Championships, gold medal (69-kg. weight class)^[10]

References

^ ^a ^b US Army World Class Athlete Program Official Site^{[dead link]}
^ Army Regulation 215–1 Morale, Welfare, and Recreation
^ US Army World Class Athlete Program Entry Standards^{[dead link]}
^ US Army sends off 7 athletes, 4 coaches to London Olympics, AP in Washington Post, July 16, 2012
^ "U.S. Army FMWRC Official Image Archive". Flickr.com. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
^ "US Army Olympians". Goarmy.com. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
^ "Teela sits out Olympic 20k Individual Biathlon". Army.mil. 19 February 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
^ "Bobsledding Soldiers attention turns to Olympic four-man event". Army.mil. 24 February 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
^ "Soldier-Olympians share tales with Army leaders". Army.mil. 16 October 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
^ "Melson wins U.S. boxing quarterfinals". USA Today. 9 March 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2011.

Pearce, Kelly (27 November 1996). "Army brings elite athlete program to Fort Carson". Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph.

Sources

External links

[armymwr1-1] US Army World Class Athlete Program Official Site^{[dead link]}

[2] Army Regulation 215–1 Morale, Welfare, and Recreation

[3] US Army World Class Athlete Program Entry Standards^{[dead link]}

[4] US Army sends off 7 athletes, 4 coaches to London Olympics, AP in Washington Post, July 16, 2012

[5] "U.S. Army FMWRC Official Image Archive". Flickr.com. Retrieved 23 July 2012.

[6] "US Army Olympians". Goarmy.com. Retrieved 23 July 2012.

[7] "Teela sits out Olympic 20k Individual Biathlon". Army.mil. 19 February 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2012.

[8] "Bobsledding Soldiers attention turns to Olympic four-man event". Army.mil. 24 February 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2012.

[9] "Soldier-Olympians share tales with Army leaders". Army.mil. 16 October 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2012.

[usatoday2006-10] "Melson wins U.S. boxing quarterfinals". USA Today. 9 March 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2011.

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