Takedown Report

Wrestling superstars need more than Olympics to carry the sport

By Kyle Klingman

The 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials are over, leaving hundreds of wrestlers to shelve their dreams for another four years. And only 15 of 18 wrestlers became Paris Olympians after a last-chance Olympic qualifier in May. “Not many finish on top,” said 2000 Canadian Olympian and Simon Fraser coach Justin Abdou. “I was down there with one of my wrestlers. Seeing all these grown men cry reminded me how real and tough our sport is.”

This column appeared in the May 8 issue of WIN Magazine. Click here or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe.

Although many casually mention their desire to make an Olympic team in interviews, the process is beyond comprehension. Imagine selecting an All-NBA team, an All-NFL team, or an All-MLB team once every four years, but the number shrinks by 40 percent.
The United States gets a maximum of six spots in three disciplines (men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle, and Greco-Roman) once every four years in the only event that matters to the general public. “The Olympic Games is a two-week time frame where you have swimming, track & field, and wrestling, and all these sports are there and you watch it every night. And it’s once every four years,” Iowa coach and 1996 Olympic gold medalist Tom Brands said. “You can say what you want but the Worlds are just as important. It’s probably tougher to win a World title and it’s just as exciting. “It’s more about the public perception. There’s only one reason I watch Michael Phelps. I’ve never seen Michael Phelps swim in a World Championship. I don’t even know his credentials. I could guess he’s probably a World champion in something. I know he won 23 Olympic gold medals because it was on primetime television and that’s how wrestling is.”
That’s the allure. A fringe sport with a loyal fan base gets momentarily lifted into a worldwide spotlight. Helen Maroulis, Tamyra Mensah-Stock, Jordan Burroughs, Dan Gable, Rulon Gardner, David Taylor, and Gable Steveson made names for themselves beyond the wrestling base by winning Olympic gold medals. All other credentials are secondary.
No grandchild says his or her grandfather tried out for the World Championships or the NCAA Championships. It’s always, “My grandfather tried out for the Olympics.”
Many are delusional about credentials from the past but mention the word Olympics and heads will inevitably turn. And that’s part of the problem.
Wrestling needs more than the Olympic Games, but it can’t be forced and it must happen organically. … more at … WIN-magazine.com/Wrestling-superstars-need-more-than-olympics-to-carry-the-sport

May 31, 2024 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized