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Discussion Topic: Olympic Predictions for the USA
Rex Holman added to this discussion on August 10, 2024
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Watched Rivera lose to Kiyooka from Japan; reading his lips afterward "pull me back in" while smiling was cool.
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Discussion Topic: Olympic Predictions for the USA
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on August 10, 2024
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I understand my opinion regarding Taylor over Brooks has flaws but there are times our system doesn't send the best wrestler. Of course, there's no such thing as a perfect system.
I feel better about Brooks since the Bulgarian cruised in the finals.
I wish Lee had won but kudos to his opponent.
Kennedy Blades and Kyle Snyder are in the semis. Retherford lost to the Iranian and hopes to get carried.
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Discussion Topic: Olympic Predictions for the USA
Chris Thomas added to this discussion on August 10, 2024
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Kyle got teched 11-0 last year by his opponent( defending World Champ). let's see if he made some adjustments this time around.
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Discussion Topic: Olympic Predictions for the USA
Chris Thomas added to this discussion on August 10, 2024
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Kyle Dake with the gusty effort to take bronze. Best late match performance by the American men this Olympics!
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Discussion Topic: Olympic Predictions for the USA
Chris Thomas added to this discussion on August 10, 2024
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Kyle Snyder goes down in the semi 6-4.
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Discussion Topic: Olympic Predictions for the USA
Chris Thomas added to this discussion on August 10, 2024
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No gold in Men's Freestyle for the first time since 1968! Disappointing considering Russia didn't compete. However, we got a silver and potential for four bronze medals.
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Discussion Topic: Olympic Predictions for the USA
Jim Kessen added to this discussion on August 11, 2024
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Snyder loses in Bronze match 4-1. Not really close to scoring
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Discussion Topic: Olympic Predictions for the USA
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on August 11, 2024
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American men finish with a silver and 2 bronze (3 if you want to count Seabass which you can't)
American women have two golds and a bronze plus no less than a silver for Kennedy blades.
Jesse Mendez is in prime position to emerge as the next great USA wrestler at 145.5.
Guys like Bassett, Forrest and Blaze will be a big part of our next cycle as well.
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Discussion Topic: Olympic Predictions for the USA
Jeff Streu added to this discussion on August 11, 2024
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I understand why some are wishing we took Taylor over Brooks, but if we use that logic we would have taken Varner over Snyder in 2015 / 2016.
The fact that our gold medal streak in men's freestyle was broken in a year where Russia wasn't there is quite disappointing.
But that's still not as disappointing as our Greco team. I'm in the small minority that actually appreciates Greco-Roman, but I must say that performance was pretty rough. I don't understand why we can't perform the way we did in the 90's and 2000's where we were respectable, winning medals most years and even the team title in 2007.
At least our women's team did really well! They didn't beat Japan, but they sure made the team race interesting.
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Discussion Topic: Olympic Predictions for the USA
Chris Thomas added to this discussion on August 12, 2024
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Quote from Jeff Streu's post:
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"I understand why some are wishing we took Taylor over Brooks, but if we use that logic we would have taken Varner over Snyder in 2015 / 2016.
The fact that our gold medal streak in men's freestyle was broken in a year where Russia wasn't there is quite disappointing.
But that's still not as disappointing as our Greco team. I'm in the small minority that actually appreciates Greco-Roman, but I must say that performance was pretty rough. I don't understand why we can't perform the way we did in the 90's and 2000's where we were respectable, winning medals most years and even the team title in 2007.
At least our women's team did really well! They didn't beat Japan, but they sure made the team race interesting."
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Varner/Snyder and Taylor/Brooks are two totally different situations IMO. Snyder was beating Varner consistently for two years and placing at big international tournaments before making the Olympic team. I'm not saying use logic but a system with more than one criteria to make the Olympic team. This happens once ever four years you have to be sure to have the best representative IMO. This year's team didnt IMO.
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Discussion Topic: Olympic Predictions for the USA
Drew Taylor added to this discussion on August 12, 2024
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David Taylor showed up to the Olympic Trials in poor shape by his standards. He later admitted it. He was soundly beaten twice despite getting to sit out until the finals. And yet some people here think he should’ve gotten the nod over Hodge winner Aaron Brooks. No way.
The Americans didn’t have a good Olympics in men’s freestyle but Brooks wasn’t the problem. He competed well. Taylor wouldn’t have won gold, in my opinion. His heart wasn’t fully in it.
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Discussion Topic: Olympic Predictions for the USA
Nick Lecklider added to this discussion on August 12, 2024
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57 Spencer lost to a guy who has been one of the best in the world for a long time. Nothing to be ashamed of there.
65 Zain got an awful draw and then suffered a concussion. Think if he continued he could have got bronze with his draw
74 Dake just gave up his legs too much and look flat footed in his loss. Has anyone ever scored 20 on him? Doubt it
86 brooks lost to champ and had the match won. Decent tourney for being his first senior world event. He will not wrestle 86 anymore going forward
97 Snyder didn’t place but had the worst draw possible. The guys he lost to were the two best guys at the weight. Brooks and Snyder will have to wrestle off for the next Olympic team
125 Parris had a pretty good draw and blew it. Probably the most disappointing result by far.
Next olympic cycle hopefully get a couple buckeyes representing. Mendez Feldman welsh and if Sasso makes a complete recovery will have a few real contenders to represent the USA. Hopefully a Bassett or Blaze join the room also.
Also all these guys that join the Nlwc haven’t really shown they have became any better once they moved there. Snyder may regret the move once Brooks makes his way to 97 kg. Training with your biggest competitor to make a national team I don’t think is ever a good idea.
USA should study the training methods of Japan. Wrestling is not a huge sport in Japan and still had more success than the USA. Someone said there were only about 6000 wrestlers nationally in Japan. In high school last year in the USA there were over 300000 wrestlers. For Japan to be able to do what they did with those numbers is pretty crazy and the Us needs to look at what they do differently.
The woman have really gotten better and I see it only getting stronger as it’s the fastest growing woman’s sport in the US. Elor may be the goat by the time she is done.
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Discussion Topic: Olympic Predictions for the USA
Roe Fox added to this discussion on August 12, 2024
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I just don’t see any medal for Zain. Great college wrestler but something just doesn’t translate for him.
Dake to me seems almost too confident in his abilities to get out of trouble and faced a guy who could convert deep shots.
Snyder is supposed to be the bad draw, especially without Sadulaev. The blood time in his last match did him no favors. He gets a lot of his shots wearing guys down. I don’t see any significant improvement in his offense from ORTC and NL.
Didn’t Japan have a nuclear plant breach about 10 years ago? Coincidence? Their performance was exceptional. I really enjoy watching Higuchi. Lee gave it what he had.
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Discussion Topic: Olympic Predictions for the USA
Brian Mathews added to this discussion on August 12, 2024
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Quote from Roe Fox's post:
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"I just don’t see any medal for Zain. Great college wrestler but something just doesn’t translate for him."
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To be fair to Zain, he's a tweener and 65kg is clearly not his best weight. Two trips to worlds at 70kg have netted him a Gold and a Silver, nothing to sneeze at.
That being said, he doesn't even beat Mendez if he isn't given five hours to recover post weigh-in while Jesse wrestles three matches against world level competition.
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Discussion Topic: Olympic Predictions for the USA
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on August 12, 2024
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Brooks, Lee and Dake performed well. As I mentioned previously, Brooks looks a lot better when you consider how good the Bulgarian wrestled in the finals.
Snyder had a tough draw. He's also no longer fooling anyone and appears older than he is. He's still excellent but no longer a superman.
Bottom line is that America needs new blood. Dake and Snyder are through or should be. They've both had amazing careers but are on the down side.
Lee is likely done as well due to severe injuries. I can understand why he wanted gold so bad. He's just not someone cut out for the rigors of regular competition. In theory, he might manage his training well enough to compete a few more years at Worlds.
Brooks can be a future multi time world champ.
I'd like to see guys like Nolf and Mendes on the world stage. I have no idea who might emerge at 285 but Parris needs to be pushed. Nor do I know who might step up in Snyders place although he's probably not going anywhere.
Just spitballin here. Bottom line is that with only 6 wt classes, we needed 6 superstars and didn't have it.
Final comment--I LOVE Helen Maroulis. And I love the women in general. They respect how tough their comp is and revel in their achievements. Kudos to them for their class and dignity.
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