Kermanshah, Iran (CNN) The journey to this week's freestyle wrestling World Cup in Iran was an exhausting one for the US team -- and not only because of the long trip from the US to the Iranian city Kermanshah, with two stopovers in Frankfurt and Tehran. It was the diplomatic hurdles that had stressed Team USA out. The wrestlers were caught in the most recent escalation between Tehran and the new Trump administration, and their visas did not come through until the last minute. "It was difficult. There was a period of time where we were like, are we going, are we not going?" US Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs told CNN. "It was difficult being pawns in the game of political powers that were essentially deciding our fate."The USA wrestling team was caught in the diplomatic tension between the US and IranThe US, Iran and Russia are wrestling's international powerhouses
The _ wrestlers understood that they were right in the middle of this diplomatic standoff, but said they wouldn't allow politics to taint their views of the athletes they are competing against.