March 30, 2009
CHICAGO- As Chicago continues to pursue its bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games, a group of Olympic athletes and coaches swung by the Flames Athletic Center to visit UIC's strength and conditioning coaches and facility a few weeks back.
Olympic weightlifters Juergen Spiess and Almir Velagic of Germany, German National Team coaches Michael Vader and Frank Mantek, and Olympic bobsledder Ingrid Marcum of the United States discussed training with UIC head strength and conditioning coach Nick Zostautas, assistant coach Matt Saey and intern Dan Gamboa while giving the FAC strength and conditioning center's barbells and fitness equipment some Olympic-calibur lifts on Mar. 10.
The visit was made possible though U.S. Olympic weightlifting coach Mike Gattone, a native of Buffalo Grove who coached 2000 Olympic gold medal-winning weightlifter Tara Nott.
