STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Aaron Brooks defeats reigning 86-kilogram gold medalist. david taylor He competed in back-to-back matches at the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials on Saturday night, earning him a spot at the Paris Olympics.
Brooks defeated Taylor 4-1 earlier in the day, his first loss to an American wrestler in seven years. This was an opportunity for Brooks to dominate the Tokyo gold medalist and fellow former Penn State athlete.
Brooks broke the deadlock with a takedown on Brooks in the first period, earning a 3-1 victory in the pair's second match.
After the match, the two shared a moment in the center of the mat.
“I told him I loved him,” Brooks said. “He was one of the first guys to make (Penn State wrestling) what it is.”
Brooks was avenging his loss to Taylor in last year's World Championship qualifying match when he lost two consecutive matches and was swept. Since early March, Brooks has won a Big Ten title, his fourth NCAA title, the Hodge Trophy and earned an Olympic berth.
The trial will be held at the Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State's basketball stadium, where the Nittany Lions wrestling team occasionally holds matches.
A total of 18 wrestlers were selected to represent the United States wrestling team on Saturday, with 13 of them earning direct berths to the Olympic Games in Paris. The winners of five weight classes – men's freestyle 57kg and 65kg and Greco-Roman 60kg, 67kg and 77kg – will have to travel to Istanbul for the Olympic World Qualification Tournament in May.
3-time Olympian
Kyle Snyder In the championship series against Isaac Trumbull, he won 5-0, 4-0 without giving up a run, earning him his third Olympic appearance.
The 2016 gold medalist received a bye in the best-of-three final to face Trumbull, who won the 97kg challenger tournament.
“I mean, it's different,” said Snyder, 28, who goes to Ohio State University and trains with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. “When you first do it, you're really happy. Now it's almost an expectation for yourself. Then the real fun begins when you make the team and compete for Olympic gold.”
Financing a roster spot
Zane Retherford Five months ago, we didn't even know if he would compete for an Olympic spot.
But on Saturday he defeated his Nittany Lion Wrestling Club teammates. nick lee He won 2-1, 5-0 in back-to-back matches in the 65kg weight class, earning a spot on the U.S. national team and advancing to the international qualifying tournament.
“I accepted a job in New York City. My family was scheduled to move there in January, but my heart was weighing down in ways I couldn't explain,'' he said. Retherford said after the win.
Mr Retherford accepted a position at financial firm ABR Dynamic Funds, which gave him the flexibility he needed to compete. He will have to take some more time off after Saturday's performance.
Retherford's next step is the Olympic qualifying tournament in Istanbul, which begins May 9. They must finish in the top two to qualify for Paris.
overcome an injury
Spencer Lee defeated Tokyo bronze medalist Thomas Gilman in the 57kg weight class in the second match, earning him a spot on the U.S. team and advancing to the world qualifiers in Istanbul.
Lee's journey has not been easy. He suffered multiple injuries.
The former Iowa State Hawkeye tore his right ACL as a high school senior in 2017 and tore it again in 2019. And in 2021, Lee won the national title despite tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament at the Big Ten Championships a few weeks ago. .
The knee problems seemed to have subsided by 2024, at least enough for Lee to continue wearing shoes.
“If the Iowa Hawkeye program hadn't supported me, to be honest with you guys, I would have retired,” Lee said. “I had a really hard time staying healthy and competing to the best of my ability.”
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Zach Allen is a student at Penn State's John Curley Center for Sports Journalism.
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
