what: US Olympic Trials
weight:68kg (women's freestyle)
when: April 19th-20th
where: Penn State University (Bryce Jordan Center)
How to watch:peacock
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Amit Errol missed the 2020 Olympic Trials for one day. A native of Walnut Creek, California, she was born on January 1, 2004. She would have met her minimum age requirement if she had been born a day earlier.
Not to worry. The 20-year-old made up for it by conquering the world in his teens. In the last three years Errol has made eight senior and age level world teams and brought eight gold medals.
Errol usually competes at 72 kilograms, but will drop to 68 kilograms (nearly 9 pounds lighter) for the Olympic Trials. She topped her weigh-in at the Pan Am Olympic Qualifying Tournament in February, securing a spot in the best-of-three finals.
Based on his recent performance and track record of dominating tournaments, Elor seems likely to represent Team USA at the Olympics. Her tough style relies on two-on-ones and underhooks to win matches.
Amit Errol at the World Championships
Forrest Molinari has the best shot on paper to match Errol. Her high-octane pace and her colorful interviews have made her a fan favorite. She was selected to three senior world teams and won a bronze medal in 2021.
Aine Drury may be the surprise of this tournament. The King University star outscored Iowa State's Reese Larramendi 5-4 in the second period to lock up the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championship final.
Both athletes had impressive performances at the Women's Nationals over the weekend, with Laremendi overwhelming the field to earn a place in the U20 World Team and Drury winning the U23 Nationals (both in the 65kg category). Drury picked up two wins over Olympic selection qualifier Alara Boyd in the U23 final. Boyd was named to four age-group world teams and won two medals.
Alexandria Glaude (68 kg) and Brookley Hayes (72 kg) are current members of the U.S. national team and factor into this weight. Glaude lost to former McKendree teammate Emma Brantil in last year's World Team Trial Challenge tournament, while Hayes defeated former Augsburg teammate Nina Makem in the U23 final with a 3-2 decision in the first round. He nailed it in a straight match.
Sorin Piercy looked in good form at the 2022 World Cup and will be a formidable opponent if she plays.
However, the hope is that Elor will join the team. Her recent success at all levels has made her popular at home and abroad.
