FOWLERVILLE — When Adam Kuhn stepped off the wrestling mat on April 20, his athletic career flashed through his mind. He had just achieved his dream of qualifying for the Olympics.
He recalled 2016, when he earned an alternate spot just three years after graduating from Fowlerville High School but didn't get a chance to play in Brazil.
Of course, there was the heartbreak of winning the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, but being denied a trip to Tokyo after not advancing from the World Olympic Trials in Bulgaria.
His Plan B was to try out for the National Football League before it was too late. He signed with the Tennessee Titans, but never recovered from a neck injury he suffered before 2021 training camp.
After putting his wrestling career on hold, Kuhn was expected to resume training in the winter of 2023 with the goal of eventually competing in the Olympics.
Mission complete.
Kuhn achieved his dream with a 2-1 victory over longtime rival Coulton Schultz in the best-of-three Greco-Roman 130kg championship series. Kuhn won the decisive battle 6-1.
“It was a very exciting feeling,” said Kuhn, a four-time state champion. “At that point I got a rush of adrenaline. I had been so close the last few times and just the thought of finally breaking through.
“At first, I was an alternate. I qualified for my weight class. In 2016, I lost in the finals. In 2020-21, I was on that team, but I didn’t qualify for my weight class. I couldn't get it. One of the reasons I quit the sport was because I couldn't make it two times in a row.
“I've been trying out soccer.I came back with the goal of being selected for the Olympic team and ultimately making it through to the third round.At that time, my emotions were running high.All I could do was scream. .”
“I wanted to pursue an Olympic gold medal,” Kuhn told the Daily when he returned to wrestling.
“I’m not just happy to be here,” Kuhn said. “I'm proud of what I've accomplished so far. I'm glad I took my time and finally broke through. It's something I haven't been able to do before.
“My mindset right now is, 'Let's go win a medal, preferably a gold one.' I don't have one of those. That's where the focus is now. Give my body a little more time to recover. After that, we'll be heading out. We'll aim for a medal.”
Kuhn does not have to take any additional steps to qualify, allowing him some recovery time.
When he won the trials in 2021, his weight class did not qualify because there were no Americans in that weight class who had recent international success. He needed to advance to the championship round to qualify, but he was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Ironically, it was Schultz who earned a spot in this division thanks to his performance at the Pan American Olympic Trials in Mexico in February.
“I'm happy to be able to focus on the 16 athletes I'll be competing against at the Olympics,” Kuhn said. “I don't have to worry about the 24 or so athletes who will be competing in this last-chance qualifier. My focus can shift to one event, or just one event. I don't have to worry about stepping stones. That way, it will be easier to do hard training.”
The son of Fowlerville wrestling coach Dan Kuhn, his Olympic dreams began after he learned about Rulon Gardner. Gardner won gold in the weight class Kuhn competed in at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in Paris.
Gardner credits his early years working on his family's dairy farm in Wyoming to his strengths.
“I don't remember if I actually saw the 2000 Olympics or if I just heard about the 2000 Olympics,” said Kuhn, who was 5 at the time. “When I heard that story, I knew I wanted to be an Olympian. … That's what kept me going. That dream never went away.”
When he finally qualified, a large crowd of family and friends watched.
“It meant a lot to have people there supporting me,” Kuhn said. “There are too many people who have supported me over the years. I definitely couldn't put them in that ring. There are too many people I can't thank enough. The entire town of Fowlerville , and people from many other different places.”
Also in attendance that night was former Fowlerville teammate Dalton Roberts, who won the Greco-Roman 60kg weight class at the Olympic Trials.
To qualify for Paris, Roberts, like Kuhn three years ago, will need to reach the finals of the World Olympic Qualification, to be held in Istanbul from May 9-12.
— Please contact Bill Kahn at wkhan@gannett.com. X Follow him at @BillKhan.
