THE LAST WORD
U.S. Olympic Trials is must-see event
C
OLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The U.S. Olympic Team Trials comes around just once every four years and it is an event you do not want to miss. I attended my first Olympic Trials in 2000 in Dallas and I will never forget it.
The epic, back-and-forth battle between Terry Brands and Kerry Boumans. Rulon Gardner knocking off Olympic silver medalist Matt Ghaffari on his way to upsetting Russia’s Alexander Karelin in the Olympic finals. Another great Trials followed in 2004 in Indianapolis with Cael Sanderson outlasting Lee Fullhart in a grueling, three-match battle. Sanderson, of course, went on to win the Olympics. Dennis Hall won an amazing Trials match with Brandon Paulson in the best Greco-Roman match I’ve ever seen. Four years later in Las Vegas, there was more edge-of-your- seat drama with Henry Cejudo beating Olympic silver medalist Stephen Abas en route to winning the Olympics in Beijing, China. And there was 18-year-old Jake Deitchler knocking off two-time World bronze medalist Harry Lester. There obviously is something very special about the Olympic
Trials. The stakes are extremely high, and making an Olympic Team is a goal many of these athletes have been working toward for decades. This year’s Olympic Trials, set for April 21-22, has the poten- tial to top them all.
For one, the event is being held in one of the country’s wrestling meccas at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. With the possibility of Gardner, Cejudo and Sanderson all competing, the event could be one of the best we have ever had.
The U.S. teams are wrestling well right now. The freestyle
team is coming off a strong third- place finish at the 2011 World Championships.
Jordan Burroughs leads the way after winning a World title.
Craig Sesker
The U.S. also has top freestyle wrestlers like World silver medalists Mike Zadick and Jake Herbert along with World bronze medalists Tervel Dlagnev and Jake Varner. Brent Metcalf is looking very good, and is a wrestler fans don’t want to miss seeing compete on his home turf in Iowa City.
The U.S. women’s team also is on the verge of doing some- thing very special in 2012. The American women are led by World champion Clarissa Chun, World silver medalist Elena Pirozhkova and World bronze medalists Tatiana Padilla and Ali Bernard. You also have two- time World champion Kristie Davis still in the mix. The U.S. Greco-Roman squad also features plenty of experi- ence with World champion Dremiel Byers along with Lester and World bronze medalist Justin Ruiz. The U.S. also features a top young star in Junior World bronze medalist Ellis Coleman, an explosive wrestler who can put points on the board. The Olympic Trials is a must-see event for American wrestling
fans. A great crowd is expected for this event, but the U.S. wrestling community needs to step up and pack the gym for this exciting event.
Selling out Carver-Hawkeye Arena would be a great way to support these wrestlers as they pursue history. And great for the sport as the London Olympics draw closer.
42 USA Wrestler
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