Archbishop Riordan, wrestling community mourns passing of former Crusader coach, ex-Soviet wrestler, referee Archbishop Riordan High wrestling and the wrestling community in general is mourning the passing of Abraham (Alex) Ostrovskiy who died in his sleep at his San Francisco home on Monday night.
Said a Riordan social media post regarding the Russian immigrant and former Crusader assistant coach: “We were blessed to have had Abram (Alex) Ostrovskiy as a coach for a decade and as a friend and fan for many more years. It is with sadness we announce his passing but it is with gratitude we appreciate the opportunity to have known such and amazing and inspirational man.”
A picture Prep2Prep has located on the Internet of Ostrovskiy shows a diminutive, chiseled man with a deadly serious countenance. He began his wrestling career in his native Soviet Union, survived the Nazi invasion during World War II and was a member of the Soviet team in the mid-1950s.
He competed and coached internationally and became known for his superior technical wrestling and later received high rankings as a wrestling official both in his homeland and later in the United States after arriving here more than 35 years ago.
Wrote "Wrestlers Without Borders" of Ostrovskiy: “The walls of his modest apartment are covered with animal hoofs and horns, ceremonial swords and numerous other awards – the honors bestowed up him by tournaments and organizations across the globe.”
Former longtime Riordan wrestling coach Vittorio Anastasio, now the school’s principal, met Ostrovskiy at a meet in the early 1990s, one thing led to another and Ostrovskiy became a Riordan assistant coach.
“We’d bring him to tournaments and the kids liked him so he became an assistant,” Anastasio said. “He was able to practice his English and help the team and also referee on an international level. He was a highly recognized referee.”
Failing health hindered Ostrovskiy in recent years but, even after a heart attack, he was back on the mat officiating n a matter of weeks.
“He was just a tough guy,” Anastasio said. “We feel happy and blessed to have known him. He had some phenomenal stories about being a Russian Jew and living in Russia during World War II and being separated from his family and how he didn’t speak until age 8 because of all the trauma he went through. That’s why it was good for him to get involved in wrestling because it created a new family for him.”
