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2024 Olympic Team Trials previews - April 19 & 20

I suspect this has been said already but the brackets are out and we will have at least on athlete in the finals in all six weights.
57g Gilman (maybe LL)
65g Zain (and Lee)
74g Dake (and CS/Nolf/MM/VJ)
86g AB vs DT 🔥
97g Captain America 🇺🇸
125g Greg K for the win 🏆
NLWC baby 😎
 
I suspect this has been said already but the brackets are out and we will have at least on athlete in the finals in all six weights.
57g Gilman (maybe LL)
65g Zain (and Lee)
74g Dake (and CS/Nolf/MM/VJ)
86g AB vs DT 🔥
97g Captain America 🇺🇸
125g Greg K for the win 🏆
NLWC baby 😎
Also:
65Kg: Beau
74Kg Facundo & Levi
 
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Coming up in in less than a month. April 19th-20th. I’ll post the entire list of qualifiers but first look at 74kg. Absolutely loaded! Whoever comes out will be battle tested. I’m hoping it’s Nolf but still think Dake wins it. I’m most interested to see how Mesenbrink does against this group of killers though

74 KG​

Sitting To Best of Three Final Series

2023 Senior World silver medal at Olympic weight - Kyle Dake (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC)

Challenge Tournament

2019 World Team member – Jordan Burroughs (Sunkist Kids/Pennsylvania RTC)

2023 U20 World champion – Mitchell Mesenbrink (Askren Wrestling Academy)

2023 U23 World champion – Keegan O'Toole (Tiger Style WC)

2023 Bill Farrell champion – Jason Nolf (Nittany Lion WC)

2023 Senior Nationals champion – Quincy Monday (NJRTC/Titan Mercury WC)

2023 Senior Nationals 2nd place – Alex Marinelli (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)

2023 Senior Nationals 3rd place – Alex Facundo (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

2023 Senior Nationals 4th place – Jarrett Jacques (Tiger Style WC)

2023 Senior Nationals 5th place – Tyler Berger (Pennsylvania RTC)

2024 NCAA D1 champion at 157 lbs - Levi Haines (Penn State)

2024 NCAA D1 champion at 165 lbs - David Carr (Iowa State)

Can someone post a link to the brackets? I can't find them
 
So anybody on the bottom side of the bracket at 57/65 has to wrestle an extra match to make the best of the 3?
 
What is meant by “not yet qualified weights” within the schedule ?

Why don’t they simply just have Round 1 for all weights ? Then Round 2…. Etc.
US is not yet qualified for Olympics at 57 and 65.
 
So for clarification what needs to happen to qualify those weights?
At this point: The winner at trials for 57 & 65 must place 1st through true 3rd at the Last Chance Olympic Qualifier in Turkey. (May, I think?) This tournament will be very tough—our guys will have to beat medal contenders to qualify. Otherwise, no Olympians for the US at those weights.
 
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Coming up in in less than a month. April 19th-20th. I’ll post the entire list of qualifiers but first look at 74kg. Absolutely loaded! Whoever comes out will be battle tested. I’m hoping it’s Nolf but still think Dake wins it. I’m most interested to see how Mesenbrink does against this group of killers though

74 KG​

Sitting To Best of Three Final Series

2023 Senior World silver medal at Olympic weight - Kyle Dake (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC)

Challenge Tournament

2019 World Team member – Jordan Burroughs (Sunkist Kids/Pennsylvania RTC)

2023 U20 World champion – Mitchell Mesenbrink (Askren Wrestling Academy)

2023 U23 World champion – Keegan O'Toole (Tiger Style WC)

2023 Bill Farrell champion – Jason Nolf (Nittany Lion WC)

2023 Senior Nationals champion – Quincy Monday (NJRTC/Titan Mercury WC)

2023 Senior Nationals 2nd place – Alex Marinelli (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)

2023 Senior Nationals 3rd place – Alex Facundo (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

2023 Senior Nationals 4th place – Jarrett Jacques (Tiger Style WC)

2023 Senior Nationals 5th place – Tyler Berger (Pennsylvania RTC)

2024 NCAA D1 champion at 157 lbs - Levi Haines (Penn State)

2024 NCAA D1 champion at 165 lbs - David Carr (Iowa State)

Are the early rounds televised or do we have to have a flo subscription? Or a peacock subscription?
 
Yes.
We know this.
So, why is this influencing the OTT finals schedule? They still have to wrestle the Best of 3... right?

Just spitballing, but this format separates out the weights by what a win means. Putting the already qualified weights at the end allows for more celebration(pageantry??) of the winners that just became Olympians.

Seems an odd format at 1st. But I kind of understand it, if that was the thought process.
 
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Just spitballing, but this format separates out the weights by what a win means. Putting the already qualified weights at the end allows for more celebration(pageantry??) of the winners that just became Olympians.

Seems an odd format at 1st. But I kind of understand it, if that was the thought process.
Spitballing a little further: maybe this isn't just about men's freestyle? We probably have some weights not yet qualified in the other styles.

I'm thinking NBC probably views freestyle as the ratings winner, and thus mixing the styles in multiple sessions is preferable to having single-style sessions where only one gets decent ratings.

Otherwise, agreed, splitting up the men's freestyle finals this way seems really dumb.
 
No Steveson???? I've never understood why anybody gets a bye to the finals. Not exactly a level playing field. Explain?
 
Official seeds won't be until probably early next week.

Below, Willie put Flo's projected seeds into bracket form. Have seen one or two other projections and they are very similar.








As a resident wrestling guru (diva? ;) ), @smalls103 needs to spring for a bracket-building app that inputs and formats the names of combatants, their seeds, and where the “big byes” (hammers waiting in semi’s or finals) trickle in . . . so he won’t have to scrawl brackets on diner napkins.
Kidding . . . A+ for effort. These trials will be nuts!
 
No Steveson???? I've never understood why anybody gets a bye to the finals. Not exactly a level playing field. Explain?
I don't think WWE wants Gable risking injury, and he is under contract.

Those with byes to the finals "earned" that right by medaling at Worlds last year. Those with byes to the semis (Vito, Zain, Zahid) medaled at non-olympic weights. I'll agree to a degree that it may be too big of an advantage--but I don't think we can expect it to change any time too soon. It's better, and a lot more competitive, than most of the best wrestling countries' team selection processes.
 
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Here are the world freestyle rankings as of April 4, 2024:

 
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No Steveson???? I've never understood why anybody gets a bye to the finals. Not exactly a level playing field. Explain?
You get a bye to the Semis for being a World medalist at a NON Olympic weight. You get a bye to the finals for being a World medalist at an Olympic weight. By medaling at Worlds, that is your advantage in seeding.
 
Here are the world freestyle rankings as of April 4, 2024:

Go to the PFP tab, see Micic ahead of Taylor, and try to not burst out laughing.
 
not just because I have two extra's, but it is disappointing that there are more than a few tickets available. Unbelievable showcase being held in central PA. Thought there would be much more support. I was at Fort Worth and wasn't impressed - although at the end of covid period. Hoping PA can make them want to come back for more!
 
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not just because I have two extra's, but it is disappointing that there are more than a few tickets available. Unbelievable showcase being held in central PA. Thought there would be much more support. I was at Fort Worth and wasn't impressed - although at the end of covid period. Hoping PA can make them want to come back for more!
From what I can gather, the biggest issue is ticket prices. Huge increase from a few years back. I know people who bought tickets a few years ago and were priced out of this event.
 
From what I can gather, the biggest issue is ticket prices. Huge increase from a few years back. I know people who bought tickets a few years ago and were priced out of this event.
I just looked at the secondary market, and looks like there are reasonable prices for the nosebleeds. Probably just too late now, as many decided against going when the original prices were announced.
 
From what I can gather, the biggest issue is ticket prices. Huge increase from a few years back. I know people who bought tickets a few years ago and were priced out of this event.
When tickets went on sale, the ticket office wanted a human kidney for lower bowl seats.
Screw that.
If I can't have reasonable lower bowl seats, I'll stream it at home rather than sit in the nosebleeds.
 
When tickets went on sale, the ticket office wanted a human kidney for lower bowl seats.
Screw that.
If I can't have reasonable lower bowl seats, I'll stream it at home rather than sit in the nosebleeds.
Agree, I was in the rafters for 2019 nationals and it wasn't ideal.
 
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At this point: The winner at trials for 57 & 65 must place 1st through true 3rd at the Last Chance Olympic Qualifier in Turkey. (May, I think?) This tournament will be very tough—our guys will have to beat medal contenders to qualify. Otherwise, no Olympians for the US at those weights.
Definitely in May. What I'm not understanding is how Gable makes the team if he's not wrestling at the Olympic Trials in SC.
 
Definitely in May. What I'm not understanding is how Gable makes the team if he's not wrestling at the Olympic Trials in SC.
If we don't qualify those weights then we don't deserve a spot. Plain and simple, we need to perform better at those weights.
 
Definitely in May. What I'm not understanding is how Gable makes the team if he's not wrestling at the Olympic Trials in SC.
He doesn't. Well, maybe if he hires Cornell's lawyers.

Also note: if he doesn't make this year's Olympic team, then he has to qualify for trials all over again in the future. He qualifies for trials this year only as a 2021 Olympian -- that qualification expires after 2024.
 
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He doesn't. Well, maybe if he hires Cornell's lawyers.

Also note: if he doesn't make this year's Olympic team, then he has to qualify for trials all over again in the future. He qualifies for trials this year only as a 2021 Olympian -- that qualification expires after 2024.
Okay. So, after the U.S. Open in 23, that may be the last we see of him. Very odd as to why he came out of retirement, talked Olympics, and didn't show.
 
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