Jake Varner Olympic champion, 96 kg
By Craig Sesker
LONDON – It was one of the last gold- medal moments for the United States on the final day of the 2012 Olympic Games. And it belonged to American Jake
Varner and the U.S. freestyle wrestling team. Varner realized a lifelong dream when he capped a phenomenal performance by winning an Olympic gold medal at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. on Aug. 12 before a sellout crowd of 6,500 fans at ExCeL North Arena 2. Varner, a California native, took control early to sweep Ukraine’s Valeri Andriitsev 1-0, 1-0 in the Olympic gold-medal finals. Varner scored early in both periods – on an ankle pick in the first period and on a pushout in the second period – to reach the pinnacle of his sport.
"Every time I step on the mat I expect to win," Varner said. "This is exciting. I came in here with a goal of winning a gold medal and I did my job for our team. I'm just enjoying the moment right now. I will probably have some chocolate milk or a Mountain Dew to celebrate." Following his gold-medal victory, the normally low-key Varner grabbed an American flag and ran around the mat while pumping his right fist. He then dropped to his knees while taking in his dramatic moment. He walked off the mat and jumped into the arms of his mentor, close friend, coach and training partner, 2004 Olympic gold medalist Cael Sanderson, as the crowd stood and roared. Varner trains with Sanderson as a member of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club in State College, Pa.
"It's awesome to have Cael in my cor-
ner," Varner said. "He's an Olympic champion and I'm an Olympic champion now. I'm still not sure I'm in his league. I can't thank him enough for everything. I owe him a lot, that's for sure." "Jake Varner is an Olympic champion - that's what he wanted to do since he was a little kid," Sanderson said. "It's awe- some. I'm really excited for him. He loves to compete. He showed great composure out there, and that's why he got a gold medal."
Jake Varner’s ankle pick served him well at the Olympics. John Sachs photos.
Varner earned $250,000 from the Living the Dream Medal Fund, supported mainly by the wrestling community, for his gold-medal victory. "That's pretty sweet," Varner said. "You don't wrestle for the money, you wrestle for the gold medal. The money is icing on the cake. It's a nice chunk of change and it's nice to have." Varner, 26, a two-time NCAA champion for Iowa State University, was competing in his first Olympic Games. He is a native of Bakersfield, Calif.
The U.S. captured multiple Olympic freestyle gold medals for the first time since 1996. Varner joined teammate Jordan Burroughs, who won an Olympic freestyle gold medal for the U.S. on Aug. 10. Coleman Scott won an Olympic bronze medal for the U.S. on Aug. 11. The U.S. won its 49th Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling. The U.S. finished a close third in the
unofficial team standings, under FILA scoring.
The U.S. finished with 38 points. Russia and Georgia tied for first with 40 points.
"It's been a tremendous tournament for us, and what a way to cap it off with Jake's gold medal," U.S. Coach Zeke Jones said.
In the semifinals, Varner scored on a pushout early in the third period to earn a hard-fought 0-2, 1-0, 1-0 win over Georgia’s Georgi Gogshelidze, a past World champion and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist. Varner scored on two takedowns – on an ankle pick in the first period and a throw-by in the second period – to sweep Canada’s Khetag Pliev 1-0, 1-0 in the quarterfinals. Varner opened by earning a hard- fought 1-0, 0-1, 1-0 win over past World bronze medalist Kurban Kurbanov of Uzbekistan. Varner was the aggressor the whole way and his persistence paid off when he spun behind Kurbanov mid- way through the period for the eventual winning takedown.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44