Takedown Report

International Wrestling News (2021) – # 7

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Catching up some with International style wrestling news. Some stories are from the Final Olympic Team Trials last month and a few are looking forward to the Olympics in Japan in August. Keep Wrestling onward and upward! Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – COMPLETE UPDATED LIST OF OLYMPIC GAMES WRESTLING QUALIFIERS; THE USA LEADS THE WORLD WITH 15 GOING TO TOKYO
Below is a complete list of wrestling qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, as of April 7. The list includes a review of all three disciplines combined, but is also broken down by individual style and weight class. In addition, total number of qualifiers per nation is included. This list has been updated with the completion of three of the four Continental Olympic Qualifiers. The last two qualifying events are the Asian Olympic Games Qualifier in Almaty, Kazakshtan, April 13-18, and the World Olympic Games Qualifier in Sofia, Bulgaria, May 6-9.
At this point, the United States leads the world with 15 weight classes qualified for Tokyo, followed by Russia with 13, Cuba with 12 and Tunisia with 10. The United States is the only nation with a full team of six women’s freestyle wrestlers to this point. Cuba is the only nation with a full team of six Greco-Roman wrestlers at this time. No nation has yet to qualify a full team of men’s freestyle wrestlers yet. As one of the world’s most diverse sports, there are 57 different nations which have qualified at least one athlete to compete in Tokyo.
Note: The announcement that North Korea is not attending the Olympics in Tokyo has not been officially confirmed, so North Korea is still included in this list at this time.
Updated Olympic Qualification by nation, all styles
(as of April 5, 2021)
United States, 15 (50kgW, 53kgW, 57kgW, 62kgW, 68kgW, 76kgW, 60kgGR, 67kgGR, 87kgGR, 97kgGR, 57kgFS, 74kgFS, 86kgFS, 97kgFS, 125kgFS) … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/April/07/Olympic-Games-qualifiers-updated?mc_cid=69381deb62&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – What’s next for former Missouri wrestler J’den Cox after Olympic Wrestling Trials appeal?

The events transpired quickly last Friday morning.
Columbia native and Missouri wrestling alum J’den Cox arrived at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, ready for weigh-ins before the U.S. Olympic Trials.  That’s when things took an unexpected twist. Cox, who already had booked his spot in the semifinals at 97 kilograms because of previous victories, says a miscommunication is the reason he wasn’t allowed to compete. 
“I was informed with the wrong times of when weigh-ins were supposed to be,” Cox said during a televised interview Saturday night on NBC Sports Network. “That’s just flat-out the truth. … By a USA Wrestling employee, and that just so happens to be my coach (Kevin Jackson). I wish things were different, but you’ve got to take things in stride.”
The 97-kilogram tournament went on without Cox. Kyle Snyder, the defending Olympic gold medalist in the weight class, secured the spot on this summer’s U.S. team. 
The anticipated final between Cox and Snyder for a trip to Tokyo never happened. 
Jackson said later Friday he was appealing the decision to disqualify Cox, but no further information has been released since the decision was made.
The Tribune’s attempts to reach Cox and his agent have been unsuccessful. 
“It’s something I’m still appealing,” Cox told NBC Sports Network on Saturday. “In the grand scheme of things, I feel that I was not presented, I guess, the same opportunity, would be the word to say — I’m not really sure how to phrase it. But I think it’s just miscommunication and I want the right to represent my country. … rest of story at https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/sports/2021/04/07/jden-cox-olympic-wrestling-trials-2021-former-missouri-wrestler-columbia-native-weigh-in/7127743002/?mc_cid=480d7959b9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Former Husker football lineman chasing Olympic wrestling dream

For three years, Tanner Farmer was a starting offensive lineman on the Nebraska football team.  His success on the line as a starter in the Big Ten earned him looks in the NFL and Canadian Football League. Even though his professional football dreams didn’t pan out, Farmer knew one thing about himself: he wasn’t ready to be done utilizing his athletic gifts.
“I enjoy the pursuit of maximizing my physical and mental potential,” Farmer said. “I enjoy the process of thinking: How far can I push myself today? Can I bring myself to the point where I have to give up because I can’t go any farther?”  His first opportunity after his collegiate career concluded in 2018 was in the world of coaching. Farmer volunteered as a graduate assistant for the football team at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska, and while on campus he developed a relationship with wrestling head coach Levi Calhoun. 
Farmer said wrestling was his second love in high school behind football, so he was eager to help out the wrestling team any way he could. Farmer was a two-time Class 2A heavyweight champion in Illinois at Highlands High School, and went undefeated his junior and senior seasons.  Farmer was planning on joining the wrestling coaching staff after football season was over. However, one conversation with Calhoun about how NAIA eligibility worked … rest of story at http://www.dailynebraskan.com/sports/former-husker-football-lineman-chasing-olympic-wrestling-dream/article_322c30a6-97fa-11eb-b651-832c8047d6c3.html?mc_cid=480d7959b9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – Gable Steveson puts Tokyo on his itinerary

AVHS grad earns spot on U.S. Olympic wrestling teamThe sky always has been the limit for Gable Steveson in wrestling, so when people who coached him or trained with him in Apple Valley watch him now, they’re never surprised. Not even when he puts on a dominant performance that earns an Olympic berth. Last weekend Steveson, a four-time high school champion at Apple Valley and reigning NCAA Division I 285-pound champ for the University of Minnesota, bulldozed his way through the best freestyle wrestlers the country had to offer at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. None of his matches were close, not even the two he won against No. 1 seed and two-time NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski in the finals. Steveson won by a 10-0 technical fall in the first match of a best-of-three final, then earned his spot on the Olympic team with a 10-4 decision. The freestyle wrestling tournament at the 2021 Summer Olympics will be Aug. 1-7 in Tokyo. … rest of story at https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_thisweek/sports/gable-steveson-puts-tokyo-on-his-itinerary/article_de9e2724-97f8-11eb-b7da-1fe548cb542f.html?mc_cid=480d7959b9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b 5 } – Recapping the Trials in Greco-Roman with FivePointMove.com’s Tim Hands

Tim Hands, founder of the award-winning Greco-Roman wrestling website, FivePointMove.com, joins the Short Time Wrestling Podcast to recap the happenings from the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Fort Worth from April 2-3. Hands covers Greco through his website and podcast that shares the same name. He’ll look at some of the unique matchups and go into detail about the personalities that exist in Greco in the U.S. It’s Episode 652 (we think).
Daily Wrestling News, delivered every day, free.
As always, you can support this network, its shows and its projects at mattalkonline.com/jointheteam or rokfin.com/creator/mattalkonline and I’d like to thank you for spending your time with me, because you’ve always got time, for Short Time! … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/recapping-the-trials-in-greco-roman-with-fivepointmove-coms-tim-hands/?mc_cid=e835860738&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – A Marine Will Wrestle in the Summer Olympics for the First Time in 30 Years

Technically, United States Marines are always on Team USA, but Staff Sgt. John Stefanowicz will represent his country this summer at the Tokyo Olympics. He’ll be the first wrestler from the Marine Corps shooting for Olympic gold since 1992.
Stefanowicz didn’t wrestle in any high school championships or college, so he wasn’t an award-winning wrestler before joining the Marines. He couldn’t qualify for state tournaments, and college programs didn’t want him. So he joined the Marines and sharpened his skills with the All-Marine Wrestling Team, a Greco-Roman team that trains for competition year-round.
Stefanowicz’s work over the years led him to earn one of the 15 wrestling spots on the U.S. Olympic Team. He’s also the best American wrestler in his 87-kilogram (191.5-pound) weight class, according to the Jacksonville Daily News. Stefanowicz was just shy of one year old the last time a Marine went to the Olympics. That Marine was Buddy Lee, … rest of story at https://www.military.com/off-duty/marine-will-wrestle-summer-olympics-first-time-30-years.html?mc_cid=e835860738&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Catching up with Braxton Amos

I had a more than interesting catch-up conversation earlier this week with Wisconsin’s Braxton Amos, who last weekend finished runner-up in Greco-Roman at 97 kg to G’Angelo Hancock at the United State Olympic Team Trials. Many subjects were broached, but suffice it to say Mr. Amos definitely is a born and bred Mountaineer.
He loves the simplicity of life, family, friends and the sport nearest and dearest to his heart, wrestling.
His accomplishments from the time of dominating the mat as a youth with Trinity Awards, to becoming the first two-time winner of the Robert Dutton Award and then the first West Virginian to capture the national Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award speaks for itself.
Last weekend was a complete whirlwind for the former Parkersburg South three-time state champ.
After finishing his match at 9 o’clock or so he “went straight into drug testing and paper work from there. Got back to my hotel at about 11:15 and talked to a bunch of boosters who support USA Wrestling. Mom and (sister) Presley showed up about midnight asking if I wanted to get some food. I hadn’t eaten in like 13 hours.”
A 6 a.m. flight from Texas to Madison, Wisconsin awaited him. … rest of story at https://www.newsandsentinel.com/sports/local-sports/2021/04/bennett-catching-up-with-braxton-amos/?mc_cid=0dc666bfba&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – OLYMPIAN Alex Sancho Finally Ready To Be Heard

Alex Sancho (67 kg, Army/WCAP) now finds himself in a different place. He is actually eager to speak with reporters. There have been more media inquiries lately and that’s just fine. Sancho, 27, is, for him, uncharacteristically willing to open his life up to outsiders. He was never truculent with inquisitors, anyway; but questions were usually met with short, direct answers that begged for additional details. Sancho would always hold back just a little. As if for some reason, he was not entirely convinced that what he had to say was terribly important.
But he is mindful of the change in dynamics.
Before, he was an elite United States Greco-Roman athlete with loads of potential. Plenty of big wins and medal-winning performances adorn his resume. Also included on that sheet is the word “runner-up” more times than he’d like to count. “Runner-up”, certainly for a wrestler of Sancho’s caliber, is just a synonym for “crushing disappointment”. … rest of story at https://fivepointmove.com/greco-wrestling-interviews/alex-sancho-2020-olympian/?mc_cid=0dc666bfba&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – Which Rules Matter?

Just before the Olympic Trials started in Fort Worth, news began to ripple through the crowd that J’den Cox had missed weight and would not compete in the tournament. As a returning medalist at the non-Olympic weight of 92kg, Cox had a bye into the semifinals at 97kg. Many had anticipated a Saturday night matchup between Cox, a two-time world champion and 86kg Olympic medalist, and Kyle Snyder, the defending Olympic champion at 97kg and a two-time world champion.
As more information became public, it emerged that Cox claimed he was told the wrong weigh-in time by his coach, USA Wrestling National Freestyle Developmental Coach Kevin Jackson. Weigh-ins ended at 8:00am, but Cox did not make weight until 8:13am, according to published reports. The tournament committee met and decided that Cox could not enter, since he did not make weight in the time allotted. (Quick aside: international weigh-ins work differently than college. In college, wrestlers must be in the weigh-in area when the weigh-in begins or they cannot weigh in. Internationally, there is a weigh-in window, and wrestlers can come at any time during that window. The window ends two hours before wrestling begins.)
Cox was a serious threat to win the trials and medal in Tokyo this summer. Leaving him out of the tournament and depriving fans of the potential Cox vs. Snyder final generated a lot of discussion about whether or not Cox should have been permitted to wrestle even though he missed the weigh-in. At the heart of any discussion is the question of which rules really matter, and which rules are worth disregarding to reach a desired outcome. Is the desire to send the best possible team to Tokyo … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24514?mc_cid=d0f3fda251&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – NATIONAL GRECO-ROMAN HEAD COACH MATT LINDLAND HEADLINES EPISODE 4 OF HEADS UP – A USA WRESTLING COACHES COUNCIL PODCAST

On the most recent episode of Heads Up – A USA Wrestling Coaches Council Podcast, Mike Hagerty and Mike Clayton are joined by National Greco-Roman Head Coach Matt Lindland. The trio discuss the results from the Olympic Team Trials as well as some of the challenges that Greco-Roman faces in the U.S. and Internationally.
Watch the full episode here: … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/April/14/National-Greco-Roman-Head-Coach-Matt-Lindland-headlines-Episode-4-of-Heads-up?mc_cid=41e05ef71b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – Interview with Jordan Oliver

Intermat hit the road over the weekend and traveled to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to film content for an upcoming segment on the site. We were also able to catch up with Jordan Oliver, just about a week after winning the 65 kg Olympic Trials in freestyle. Oliver was fresh off a workout with national team member Nathan Tomasello as he prepares for the Last Chance Qualifier in a few short weeks in Bulgaria. In our talk, Oliver discusses the differences in his mindset between this Trials and past events and much more. … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24509?mc_cid=3018ac16e0&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – Richard Immel of FloSports talking about the men’s freestyle portion of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials

Richard Immel of FloSports swings by the Speakeasy to recap the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team Trials from Fort Worth, Texas. Richard is an award-winning media guru in the sport of wrestling with skills on the mic, in content creation and with photography. This episode was recorded from a live stream of the Short Time Wrestling Podcast.
As always, you can support this network, its shows and its projects at mattalkonline.com/jointheteam or rokfin.com/creator/mattalkonline and I’d like to thank you for spending your time with me, because you’ve always got time, for Short Time! 
Support the Show and the Mat Talk Podcast Network
Patreon | Rokfin
The Short Time Time Wrestling Podcast is proudly supported by Compound Sportswear. … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/richard-immel-of-flosports-talking-about-the-mens-freestyle-portion-of-the-u-s-olympic-team-trials/?mc_cid=41e05ef71b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And TRULY ONE OF OURS: Why ‘USA Olympian’ Means Something Different To Ildar

The one thing they all have in common, aside from glaringly obvious parallels, is that it means something special. Or, extraordinary. There is a digressive component involved with making an Olympic Team. You witness this deviation from the norm every four years — or five, in this case, since nitpicking often wields a superficial brand of power for snarky, disenchanted folks on the interweb.
It never quite gets old. Wrestlers whose accomplishments are well-documented behave a little differently once they garner Olympic Team honors. Even if their coronations did not arrive with much in the way of surprise, the scene in Fort Worth, Texas two Saturday nights ago was still cherished. Buzzers and whistles and screams of joy filled the arena. High-profile names sporting glossy credentials found themselves overwhelmed by the magnitude of it all, some of whom already owned World and Olympic titles. So, you’d think this was nothing new for them. Still, most let out guttural roars, gesturing and waving. Draping the American flag over their shoulders and hugging various mask-clad personnel. … rest of story at http://www.fivepointmove.com/army-wcap/two-time-olympian-ildar-hafizov/?mc_cid=41e05ef71b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

May 26, 2021 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized