LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) -- Nebraska athletes are in Iran ready to fight for the wrestling Freestyle World Cup. It's a trip that almost didn't happen. The UNL athletes are swept up in the middle of a political head to head. <\/p>\n
\"Every day we're like do we eat? Do we keep cutting weight? Do we train? Do we just chill? What do we do?\" said Jordan Burroughs who is a World Champion, Olympic Gold Medalist and has competed in Iran before. <\/p>\n
During the same time Iranians couldnt enter the United States because of President Donald Trump's immigration ban Iran decided to return the favor. <\/p>\n
\"Their government, they reciprocated the action and said you guys can't come either. We're not going to allow you here,\" explained Burroughs. <\/p>\n
It didnt affect most people. Althoguh, most people werent wrestlers who had been training for months and maybe even their entire lives for a shot at the World Cup in Iran. <\/p>\n
\"They're getting ready for a big event and then all of a sudden the plug gets pulled on ya,\" said UNL Head Wrestling Coach Mark Manning. <\/p>\n
Even after the U.S. immigration order was rejected in a federal appeals court Iran's ban was still in place. <\/p>\n
Were going to wrestle or were not going to wrestle. Were going to be ready no matter what happens, said James Green who was waiting to compete in Iran for the first time. <\/p>\n
After an entire week of anxiously waiting the athletes were told they were cleared to travel to Iran and compete. They hope the world cup might be a chance to unify athletes from all around the world. <\/p>\n
\"It's a small bridge to build a great relationship and I think sports can do that,\" said Manning. <\/p>\n
\"As long as we can keep the politics and the danger off of our minds and really focus on what we came to doand that's really not to set a political standard it's to kick butt right? So that's why we're going to Iran.\"<\/p>\n
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UNL wrestlers anxiously awaited their travel ban options before World Cup in Iran - WOWT<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" LINCOLN, Neb. Continue reading