IS THE FOURTH TIME THE CHARM: Brent Metcalf is headed to his fourth World Championships and is primed to earn his first medal this year in Las Vegas.
Tony Rotundo photos
Brent Metcalf By Craig Sesker
MADISON, Wis. – Brent Metcalf’s list of signature wins over top-level foreign opponents is extensive and impressive. He knocked off returning World bronze medalist Magomed Kurbanaliev of Russia at the 2014 Beat the Streets Dual in New York City.
He earned back-to-back victories over two-time World bronze medalist Mandakhnaran Ganzorig of Mongolia and World silver medalist Masmoud Esmailpour of Iran at April’s World Cup in Los Angeles.
There has just been one problem.
Those wins haven’t come at the most opportune time for Metcalf, who swept two straight matches from Jordan Oliver to win the U.S. World Team Trials on June 14 at the Alliant Energy Center.
Nobody doubts whether or not Metcalf, currently ranked fifth in the World at 65 kg/143 lbs., has the capability of winning a World medal in freestyle wrestling. He has the skill and the will to beat anybody on the planet. “It’s one thing to be one of the best, but to prove that you are the best is another thing,” said Iowa associate head coach Terry Brands, a two-time World champion. “You really have to under- stand that as an intense competitor and I think Brent does.” But Metcalf, who had brutal first-round draws against World
6 USA Wrestler
medalists, lost in the first round of his first two trips to the World Championships in 2010 and 2013.
He appeared poised to change his fortunes at the 2014 World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He won his first bout by technical fall before dropping a 6-4 decision to Turkey’s Mustafa Kaya.
Metcalf shot in on a leg attack in the closing seconds and had both arms wrapped around Kaya’s legs with Kaya’s butt on the mat. No points were awarded and the call was upheld after a U.S. challenge.
That dropped Metcalf’s record in three appearances at Worlds to a combined 1-3.
“I could give you a lot of talk. But you guys know what I want,” Metcalf said. “You know what I expect, and I dropped a pretty big opportunity last year where I was in great position to do some good things and it didn't work out.” Metcalf continues to wrestle an aggressive, attacking style where the longer the match seems to go the better he wrestles. When he sets a high pace, as he typically does, his oppo- nents can’t keep up.
Metcalf looks like he could wrestle another Olympic cycle
after 2016, but he turns 29 next month and he is well aware he can’t let too many more big opportunities slip away.
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