#Olympic wrestling brackets plus

Near the top, but not at the top - a track record that followed him in the early years of his Senior-level freestyle career. His lone trip to the national finals resulted in a 6-3 loss to Penn State’s Nico Megaludis. But he lost twice in the NCAA semifinals, as a sophomore (by fall, to West Virginia’s Zeke Moisey) and a senior (when he was previously undefeated). His Iowa career was decorated, a three-time All-American and 2017 Big Ten champion. 'Winning … that’s what history remembers' Iowa Olympian Karissa Schweizer's pre-run routine includes a special twist: A chat with her grandpa.Meet the Summer Olympians with Iowa connections who are competing in Tokyo.Iowa has sent at least one wrestler to every Summer Olympics since 1920.That’s what makes Gilman competing at these Olympics so fascinating, because the same things he’s always done have only ever gotten him near the top. “It’s just got a little different flair to it.” “I’m doing the same things I’ve always done,” Gilman, a Council Bluffs native, said earlier this spring. He will wrestle late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning (local time) and, if he wins, again early on Thursday morning. Gilman, now 27, believes the combination of the two is the reason he’s competing at the Tokyo Olympics, the United States’ men’s freestyle rep at 57 kilograms (125 pounds). One was instilled at the beginning of his wrestling career, and the other has only recently revealed itself. Olympic Trials in Texas, revealed both parts of Thomas Gilman: the fiery competitor who willed himself into one of the world’s top freestyle wrestlers, and the calmer, grateful off-the-mat alter-ego. The exchange, from April at the 2020 U.S. “That kind of sounded a little arrogant, maybe even a little offensive for me.” Gilman’s eyes opened wide, and the chuckle became a laugh. “I’ve been around since 2017, when I won a silver medal at the world championships.” “Came out of nowhere?” Gilman responded with a chuckle. “Do you feel like you came out of nowhere?” “Tell me about the match,” the moderator continued. An interview moderator began speaking - “All right, congratulations,” he began - then tee’d up a question that caused Gilman to consider himself. The 30-year-old has been training with American Kyle Snyder and is determined to repeat his Rio success.Īkgul's latest gold meant a lot to the Turkish giant, he said in a recent interview with the state news agency Anadolu, coming after nearly two years on the sidelines with injury.Thomas Gilman settled into a media room and put on some headphones. Olympic gold medallist in Rio at 125-kg, Taha Akgul was crowned European champion in April. Kawai is not the only star of the Japanese women wrestling team, who won 11 out of 18 gold medals in the last three Olympic games.įive years ago, Kawai wrestled in the 63-kg event to avoid having to go up against 10-time world champion and four-time Olympic women's wrestling champion Kaori Icho at 58-kg, and claimed the gold medal in her Olympic debut in Rio.īut for Tokyo 2020, Kawai made the bold move of stepping down a weight division and coming face-to-face with Icho in order to leave the pathway open for her sister to make it to the Olympics with her. In celebration after winning at 63-kg, she memorably slammed her coach down on the mat twice. Risako Kawai, 26, will be looking to repeat her Rio gold. He moved up to 67-kg in this Olympic cycle. In April, Borrero recovered after testing positive for the coronavirus after a March competition in Canada, where he won the 67-kg division.īorrero, a former weightlifter, broke through at the 2015 World Championships. Cuba have a chance to repeat their successful Rio performance in Tokyo.

#Olympic wrestling brackets plus

In men's Greco-Roman, Cuba have a strong duo in three-time Olympic champion Mijain Lopez at 130-kg, plus world and Olympic champion Ismael Borrero, then at 60-kg, now at 67-kg. His taller and thinner figure is unusual for his weight category, where most athletes are shorter and broader.