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Discussion Topic: US Freestyle Team - are we sending our best?
Ethan Moore added to this discussion on April 11, 2016
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US Wrestling's goal from the trials should be to send the person best aligned to medal. This never happens at every weight, with such a grueling tournament it's impossible.
My opinion:
57 - yes
65 - no (can Molinaro score in Rio? I don't think so)
74 - yes
86 - yes (Cox is savvy and a great wrestler, for medal contention the best possible scenario. Could man the weight for multiple cycles)
97 - yes
125 - yes
USA Wrestling should be pleased.
I think some future stars were also discovered - Garrett, Dieringer, and Cox to name a few.
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Discussion Topic: US Freestyle Team - are we sending our best?
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on April 11, 2016
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Add Retherford to the list of future stars.
Bottom line on 65K is that the USA has a lot of fine competitors but all have significant flaws. Molinaro probably got overlooked and used that to his advantage. Obviously, he's gotten better. He beat Metcalf, Stieber and Pico.
If you wrestled 65K again, you'd almost certainly get different outcomes. It's not a settled weight. If there was one weight class where it would benefit to have the coaches select the competitor, this one is it. But who would you pick?
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Discussion Topic: US Freestyle Team - are we sending our best?
Chris Thomas added to this discussion on April 11, 2016
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Truthfully, I would pick either Stieber or Metcalf because they have the best chance to medal at the olympics. I think Frank might not qualify the weight honestly. He wrestled his best at the right time. If Jordan Burroughs lost to Andrew Howe yesterday would the USA still send JB? It is something other countries decide on a regular. I think JB, KS, JC, and TD have the best chance at bring back medals. However, I think only JB and KS will bring some hardware back.
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Discussion Topic: US Freestyle Team - are we sending our best?
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on April 11, 2016
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Chris: I agree with your comments about 65K (although I'd pick Stieber or Kennedy...not Metcalf).
Had Howe upset Burroughs, Howe would be going.
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Discussion Topic: US Freestyle Team - are we sending our best?
Josh Lowe added to this discussion on April 11, 2016
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57 - we were going to struggle to medal regardless of who went (it's a weight we've struggled with at the senior level since Abas/Cejudo left). Dennis demonstrated to be the most viable American to do so at the Trials. Garrett showed that he can take the weight for the next quad, assuming he can maintain it from a size standpoint.
65 - outside of magical runs from Kelly ('04 Olympics and Zadick (one world championship), we've struggled with this weight (whether it's 65 or 66) for awhile. It's always been a weight with a bunch of co-equal competitors, but no separation. Pre-trials I thought that Metcalf, Kennedy, or Oliver were the most viable. The future of this weight is Pico, Retherford, or Stieber (though Pico has removed himself from the conversation). I would agree this is the one weight that had a "run" at the Trials yield the candidate; if it was displacing a much more viable candidate, USAW would not be thrilled.
74 - obviously yes. Howe is second best here, if he had another passport he could contend to medal (same with Dake and D.T., each choosing to move up in weight). Seems Burroughs will be around for another quad, but Dieringer has emerged as a possible #2 should Howe leave. USAW's nightmare would have been a Howe upset over Burroughs (think back to McCoy over Neal; there have been varying systems to protect top guys in place since then)
86 - Cox is probably the most viable candidate from a weight class where there has been zero separation from the top guys and little success at the world/Olympic level since Sanderson left (Herbert had a world medal in like '09 or '10).
97 - the answer is obvious, yes in Snyder. Varner is the victim of Snyder emerging.
120 - answer is obvious, yes in Dlagnev.
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Discussion Topic: US Freestyle Team - are we sending our best?
Chris Shepherd added to this discussion on April 11, 2016
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Quote from Hank Kornblut's post:
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"Chris: I agree with your comments about 65K (although I'd pick Stieber or Kennedy...not Metcalf).
Had Howe upset Burroughs, Howe would be going."
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I had a different post together and have decided to remove it. For the past 24 hours I've been contemplating the idea that Pico is the future of this weight. But his MMA career lurks. And Stieber and Retherford because of their relative youth as well. Throw in Oliver too, but I'm not so sure he has sure fire youth to guarantee he's the future of the weight. This one is a conundrum. So you go with the guy that won the weight and you throw as many other options as you can towards these last two qualifying events to get the U.S. a seat at the table?
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Discussion Topic: US Freestyle Team - are we sending our best?
Josh Lowe added to this discussion on April 11, 2016
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It doesn't seem that Oliver has the interest level on a consistent basis though.
In terms of these two last chance qualifiers, each country that has not qualified the weight class can only send ONE athlete to the competition. The top three qualify from the first, the top two from the second.
The athlete that is going to represent the country in the Olympics (Molinaro at 65K, who clearly earned it through the agreed upon process of USAW/coaches/athletes) should have the right to compete in at least one of those tournaments. Only if said athlete does not feel comfortable competing in both events physically should another athlete be put in their stead.
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Discussion Topic: US Freestyle Team - are we sending our best?
Brady Hiatt added to this discussion on April 12, 2016
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Quote from Josh Lowe's post:
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"The future of this weight is Pico, Retherford, or Stieber (though Pico has removed himself from the conversation)."
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How did Pico remove himself from that conversation?
I thought he was wrestling through at least 2020.
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Discussion Topic: US Freestyle Team - are we sending our best?
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on April 12, 2016
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Logan is not that young. Pretty sure he's 25. This is his prime.
He was his usual class self on FB thanking supporters and indicating that while disappointed he plans to stay after it.
Love this young man. Such a fine human being.
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Discussion Topic: US Freestyle Team - are we sending our best?
Jason Hayes added to this discussion on April 12, 2016
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Quote from Josh Lowe's post:
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"
86 - Cox is probably the most viable candidate from a weight class where there has been zero separation from the top guys and little success at the world/Olympic level since Sanderson left (Herbert had a world medal in like '09 or '10)."
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I spoke to Mike Cox (J'den's dad) and he's extremely excited for his son. His family is very appreciative of the opportunity that his son has to represent USA at the Olympics. He knows his son will still have to qualify the weight but with Coach Slay help, I'm sure J'den will be representing USA in Rio.
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Discussion Topic: US Freestyle Team - are we sending our best?
Jared Ball added to this discussion on April 12, 2016
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I realize that the Olympics only have the six weights, but there are ten contested at worlds..correct? If that is the case does anyone feel Logan's chances of winning a world title might vastly improve with a drop to 61kg. Would he consider it?
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Discussion Topic: US Freestyle Team - are we sending our best?
Jeff Streu added to this discussion on April 13, 2016
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Quote from Jared Ball's post:
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"I realize that the Olympics only have the six weights, but there are ten contested at worlds..correct? If that is the case does anyone feel Logan's chances of winning a world title might vastly improve with a drop to 61kg. Would he consider it?"
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There are 8 weight classes at the World Championships, but in either case, it does increase guys' odds of making the team. It's tough to bounce between weights, but if Logan feels that he can make the weight while feeling energetic enough, then he has a great chance of making the team.
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Discussion Topic: US Freestyle Team - are we sending our best?
Josh Lowe added to this discussion on April 13, 2016
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Brady:
my understanding was that Pico is going straight to MMA after the 2016 process ends (as per his Bellator contract).
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Discussion Topic: US Freestyle Team - are we sending our best?
Brady Hiatt added to this discussion on April 14, 2016
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Quote from Josh Lowe's post:
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"Brady:
my understanding was that Pico is going straight to MMA after the 2016 process ends (as per his Bellator contract)."
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I had heard 2020 -- but can't remember where. It's hard to imagine him getting that close and not trying to make the 2020 team. That's not to say that he couldn't begin his MMA career then make another run 3-4 years from now.
He handled himself with complete class in his wins and losses. #muchrespect
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