Yesterday was a historic day for the 2020 Summer Olympics as Tamyra Mensah-Stock, 28, dominated her opponents throughout the Tokyo Games, beating Nigerian wrestler Blessing Oborududu, 32, by a score of 4-1 to become the second American woman to win a wrestling gold medal after Helen Maroulis in 2016. Mensah-Stock also became the first Black woman to win a gold medal in wrestling. This accomplishment has a local connection to the Morongo Basin in the form of Coach Izzy. Vladislav Izboinikov, better known as Coach Izzy, is the wrestling coach to none other than Olympic gold medalist Mensah-Stock. Coach Izzy used to live in the Morongo Basin as the coach for the Yucca Valley High School wrestling team for 10 years. Coach Izzy was also named Women’s Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling in 2012 and 2019. He was the Olympic resident coach from 2005-2012 and currently coaches for the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club.
