Photo: From left, Levi Haynes, Coulton Schultz, Kayla Miracle and David Taylor meet with the media at the Penn State Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday, the day before the 2024 Olympic Trials begin in State College, Pennsylvania. did.
Written by Mike Finn
The challenge tournament will be held on Friday, with the top two advancing to Saturday's best-of-three final, unless a 2023 World Championship medalist has already qualified for the Championship Series.
Kyle Dake has a lot on his plate at this weekend's 2024 Olympic Trials in order to qualify for his second consecutive Olympic Games in the 74kg freestyle competition. But for the 2021 Olympic bronze medalist, no opponent could be tougher than the fate that was imposed on him last week when Kyle's father, Doug, passed away in Lansing, New York.
And of all the wrestlers competing in this weekend's 2024 Olympic Trials, no one can better understand Kyle's grief than David Taylor, the 2021 Olympic gold medalist in the 86kg weight class and Kyle's childhood friend. Taylor, a two-time NCAA champion from Penn State who once faced Dake in the NCAA finals, transferred the four-time NCAA champion from Cornell University to State College and joined the Nittany Lion Wrestling team. He also played a big role in getting him to train at the club.
Kyle Dake
david taylor
“I can't put myself in Kyle's shoes,” Taylor said Thursday, the day before trials began at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center. “I've known Kyle for as long as any rival I've ever met in my life. That's how I got to know Doug and his wife Jody. They're great people. And Doug loved Kyle, and Doug loved wrestling.”
Doug Dake, 62, who died of an undisclosed illness on April 11, was also a former wrestler at Kent State University and high school coach at Lansing High School, and one of Kyle's first coaches.
“Doug always knew what was best for Kyle and always knew Kyle would get there and become one of the greatest wrestlers I've ever seen. Ta.”
Doug Dake
Despite losing his father, four-time world champion Kyle still plans to make the 2024 Olympic team and is scheduled to face the winner of Friday's challenge tournament on Saturday night.
“During this process, I've been trying to be there for (Kyle) in every way I can, including texting him,” said Taylor, who won his third world championship last fall. “It's tough. My heart goes out to him and his family. Kyle is a competitor at the highest level and for Doug, there's nothing he wants more than for Kyle to perform at his best this weekend and compete.” No. And Kyle is going to do it. He looks ready and you'll see him wrestle for his dad this weekend.”
students and coaches
On a lighter note, Taylor spoke during Thursday's press conference about how much Taylor helped Levi Haynes, one of Taylor's former wrestlers from M2 Training Academy, win the NCAA title at Penn State last month. I had the opportunity to laugh as I listened to him speak…and to prepare for that, I will compete at 74km in the men's freestyle.
Levi Haynes
“Dave is the guy. I started wrestling with him in the eighth grade,” said Haynes, a sophomore and two-time NCAA finalist from Arendtsville, Pennsylvania. “When I first met him, I didn't know much about wrestling. Dave taught me how to wrestle. I didn't have much equipment yet. , also taught me how to behave as a person.”
Taylor, a 33-year-old father of three daughters, is one of the top wrestlers in the world but doesn't make a living from the sport through his wrestling club or through the funding that world and Olympic champions receive from USA Wrestling. There is.
This was different from the path of many past wrestling greats who chose to become college coaches, such as Taylor's college coach, Cael Sanderson.
“If you win, you make money (as a wrestler),” Taylor said. “When I started doing other things in my life, I realized that it could lead to longevity because I wasn’t just struggling to feed my family. I was able to achieve even more success.
“Wrestling has come a long way and if you want to pursue your goals you can, and I think wrestling gives you the flexibility to start doing other things. I also want other wrestlers to pursue their passion while competing. I'm in a situation where I have a big choice. If I want to be involved in the business I have, I hope it gives them longevity and options. If I decide I want to coach, I can do it. I'm lucky that I'm not stereotyped.”
Taylor's name has been buzzing with rumors that he could be a great college coach.
“My focus at the moment is (the 2024 Olympics) and I'm going to reevaluate what happens after that,” he said. “My desire is to help people in the wrestling world. It would be a big change to do something different. I now understand what college coaches have to do to be the best at the highest level. It's more than a full-time job.”
Miracle also hopes to “change the game”
Kayla Miracle, a two-time world championship silver medalist in the 62-kilogram weight class, competes in another sport, but Iowa women's basketball player Caitlin Clark broke attendance and television viewership numbers last winter. She is well aware that she has created a huge buzz in her sport and in the world of women's track and field. .
kayla miracle
The Bloomington, Ind., native, who is currently aiming for her second consecutive Olympic berth in women's freestyle, believes female wrestlers can make that kind of impact, too.
“I know wrestling isn’t a mainstream sport like basketball, but CC22’s Caitlin Clark was putting on a show this year,” said Miracle, a four-time Campbellsville Women’s Collegiate National Champion. . “What she accomplished was incredible, as was what (NCAA team champion) South Carolina accomplished. They brought a lot of attention to women's sports.”
Clark's supporters claim she has “changed the game”.
Can American female wrestlers do the same?
“It’s tough,” Miracle said. “I want to be the best of all time, but more importantly, I want to be the best version of myself. I want to reach my full potential, and I don't want to limit myself. I'm going to have higher standards for myself, no matter what the coaches think. I want to achieve that and I hope everyone agrees with that.”
Why Greco?
Coulton Schultz became the man to win in the 130 kg weight class in Greco-Roman wrestling, three years after competing in the weight class for the United States at the Pan Am Olympic Trials last month and placing second at the 2021 Olympic Trials. .
coulton schultz
The four-time NCAA All-American from Arizona State University was born on September 27, 2000, the day Rulon Gardner defeated Russia's Alexander Karelin at the Sydney Olympics, but he was born at the 2024 Olympics. I know fans of the selection may not understand a freestyle like Greco's.
“Freestyle, folkstyle, leg chase are all great, and there's nothing wrong with that, but there's something to be said for Greco-Roman,” said Schultz, a native of Parker, Colorado. When you meet a guy chest-to-chest in the middle of the circle and have to figure out how to throw his head, knock him down, or push him out, you don't have many options.
“But this is a real chess match, and the people who really love this fight love Greco. There's something beautiful in the details.”
