Spencer Lee wins Olympic Team Trials

[Todd Conner]

Spencer Lee wins Olympic Team Trials

Spencer Lee won two straight matches against Thomas Gilman in the All-Hawkeye Best-of Three Finals at 57kg to win the Olympic Team Trials in State College, Pennsylvania. In the first match Gilman was up 1-0 at the end of the first period. Lee got his offense going in the second period to win...

iowawrestlingblog.com

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

 

[IRONBIRD]

SUPERMAN LEE!!!! NOW FINISH THE JOB!!!!

 

[eb05]

spencer fulfilling his prophecy after the 2016 trip to rio with dan dennis. maybe jax, blaze or bassett will follow in those footsteps and be spencer’s training partner. then in 4 or 8 years spencer will be coaching them in their olympic runs.

 

[moug]

spencer fulfilling his prophecy after the 2016 trip to rio with dan dennis. maybe jax, blaze or bassett will follow in those footsteps and be spencer’s training partner. then in 4 or 8 years spencer will be coaching them in their olympic runs.

I truly believe he would have been our rep in 2020 when he looked as healthy as he ever was and wrestling lights out…….delaying everything a year was so unfortunate.

 

[artradley]

I truly believe he would have been our rep in 2020 when he looked as healthy as he ever was and wrestling lights out…….delaying everything a year was so unfortunate.

I don’t think anybody’s career was harmed by COVID more than Spencer’s. He was killing it. He would definitely be a four timer now, and I think he was positioned not just to win the Olympic Trials but also medal at the Olympics. He might never have injured his second knee and be a prohibitive gold medal favorite right now.

 

[GOLDBANGER]

The version of Spencer I just saw isn't losing in Turkey or Paris...period.

 

[Gonzo Bloor]

Can someone educate me as to why our guys have to go to Turkey and face international competition to qualify for their spot to compete in the Olympics as part of the U.S. team? Has it always been done like this? Other sports, you win your competition at the U.S. Nationals/Olympic Qualifier, you're on the team and/or in the Olympics.

 

[sstark46]

Can someone educate me as to why our guys have to go to Turkey and face international competition to qualify for their spot to compete in the Olympics as part of the U.S. team? Has it always been done like this? Other sports, you win your competition at the U.S. Nationals/Olympic Qualifier, you're on the team and/or in the Olympics.

The USA as a country has not qualified to wrestle 57kg or 65kg in the Olympics yet. We have qualified the other 4 weights already. The last chance to qualify a weight for your country is in a few weeks, and Team USA will send the winners of the Olympic Team Trials to try and qualify.
This last chance qualifier is only open to countries who have yet to qualify the weight for the Olympics

If we do not qualify the weights, then it doesn't matter who our team member is, as they will not be wrestling anyway. In 2020 (/2021) for example, we didn't qualify 65kg and so even though Jordan Oliver won the OTT and was on the team, he didn't get to wrestle in Tokyo

 

[Gonzo Bloor]

The USA as a country has not qualified to wrestle 57kg or 65kg in the Olympics yet. We have qualified the other 4 weights already. The last chance to qualify a weight for your country is in a few weeks, and Team USA will send the winners of the Olympic Team Trials to try and qualify.
This last chance qualifier is only open to countries who have yet to qualify the weight for the Olympics

If we do not qualify the weights, then it doesn't matter who our team member is, as they will not be wrestling anyway. In 2020 (/2021) for example, we didn't qualify 65kg and so even though Jordan Oliver won the OTT and was on the team, he didn't get to wrestle in Tokyo

Thanks for the info. How do you qualify for weights as a country? Just seems weird to me, would be like saying to our 200m US Champion in track 'congrats for winning the US Olympic Trials, but you have to go to Europe and finish in the top three there in order to compete in the Olympics.' Doesn't make sense to me.

 

[sstark46]

Thanks for the info. How do you qualify for weights as a country? Just seems weird to me, would be like saying to our 200m US Champion in track 'congrats for winning the US Olympic Trials, but you have to go to Europe and finish in the top three there in order to compete in the Olympics.' Doesn't make sense to me.

16 spots per weight class.

1. Top 5 at worlds last year (there was a special wrestle off between the bronze medal match losers to determine "true 5th")
2. Top 2 at your Continental Qualifier (4 Continental Qualifiers = 8 allocations)
3. Top 3 at Last Chance Qualifier (special wrestle off between bronze winners to determine "true 3rd")

Zane Richards and Nick Lee both failed to place top 5 at worlds last year. They both then failed to make the finals of the Pan Am Qualifier. Now it's up to Spencer and Zain Retherford to go to the Last Chance Qualifier to qualify their weights.

The other 4 weights, we already qualified by earning medals at 2023 Worlds

 

[Gonzo Bloor]

16 spots per weight class.

1. Top 5 at worlds last year (there was a special wrestle off between the bronze medal match losers to determine "true 5th")
2. Top 2 at your Continental Qualifier (4 Continental Qualifiers = 8 allocations)
3. Top 3 at Last Chance Qualifier (special wrestle off between bronze winners to determine "true 3rd")

Zane Richards and Nick Lee both failed to place top 5 at worlds last year. They both then failed to make the finals of the Pan Am Qualifier. Now it's up to Spencer and Zain Retherford to go to the Last Chance Qualifier to qualify their weights.

The other 4 weights, we already qualified by earning medals at 2023 Worlds

Thanks for the breakdown, appreciate it.

 

[MilleGinja]

Thanks for the info. How do you qualify for weights as a country? Just seems weird to me, would be like saying to our 200m US Champion in track 'congrats for winning the US Olympic Trials, but you have to go to Europe and finish in the top three there in order to compete in the Olympics.' Doesn't make sense to me.

I’d guess that track has a similar sort of qualification though. I know weightlifting does but that’s even wonkier.

 

[anon_0pi0cv8t1ggvb]

Thanks for the info. How do you qualify for weights as a country? Just seems weird to me, would be like saying to our 200m US Champion in track 'congrats for winning the US Olympic Trials, but you have to go to Europe and finish in the top three there in order to compete in the Olympics.' Doesn't make sense to me.

Why doesn't it make sense? Not every country is qualified to compete at every event in the Olympics. Each country has to qualify for each Olympic event by winning or placing in the qualifying events.

Turn off American brain for a second. Imagine Iceland holds an Iceland wrestling Olympic team trials. Do you think the winner of their domestic tournament should automatically qualify to compete in the Olympics? Then the Olympics would have > 100 competitors per bracket.

 

[Nashville_Hawkeye]

Thanks for the info. How do you qualify for weights as a country? Just seems weird to me, would be like saying to our 200m US Champion in track 'congrats for winning the US Olympic Trials, but you have to go to Europe and finish in the top three there in order to compete in the Olympics.' Doesn't make sense to me.

Truth be told if Zain and Spencer can't finish in the top 3 in Europe why bother going to the Olympics. We sucked at sending our best to the other opportunities, though I was absolutely shocked that Lee didn't qualify at 65 the last time out. As for Richards, he just wasn't in the ballpark.

 

[AFHawk86]

16 spots per weight class.

1. Top 5 at worlds last year (there was a special wrestle off between the bronze medal match losers to determine "true 5th")
2. Top 2 at your Continental Qualifier (4 Continental Qualifiers = 8 allocations)
3. Top 3 at Last Chance Qualifier (special wrestle off between bronze winners to determine "true 3rd")

Zane Richards and Nick Lee both failed to place top 5 at worlds last year. They both then failed to make the finals of the Pan Am Qualifier. Now it's up to Spencer and Zain Retherford to go to the Last Chance Qualifier to qualify their weights.

The other 4 weights, we already qualified by earning medals at 2023 Worlds

I propose increasing the weight classes to 10 and increasing the spots per class to 32!

Bam, problem solved!!

 

[Pennstate1985]

Thanks for the info. How do you qualify for weights as a country? Just seems weird to me, would be like saying to our 200m US Champion in track 'congrats for winning the US Olympic Trials, but you have to go to Europe and finish in the top three there in order to compete in the Olympics.' Doesn't make sense to me.

In track and field, you have to meet a minimum standard (time or distance) to even qualify to compete for a spot on your country's team. For example, if you can't run better than 10.0 seconds for the 100m sprint, you aren't invited to the Trials. Wrestling uses qualifying tournaments rather than set minimum levels of competence because it would be impossible to do that in wrestling.

 

[Mat Burn]

In track and field, you have to meet a minimum standard (time or distance) to even qualify to compete for a spot on your country's team. For example, if you can't run better than 10.0 seconds for the 100m sprint, you aren't invited to the Trials. Wrestling uses qualifying tournaments rather than set minimum levels of competence because it would be impossible to do that in wrestling.

Damn, there goes my chance to compete at the 100 m. Current time I have is measured with a sundial.

 

[Pennstate1985]

Damn, there goes my chance to compete at the 100 m. Current time I have is measured with a sundial.

If they put a fridge 100 meters from me with cold beer inside, I think I could take Usain Bolt.

 

[12tdsaw]

so it is said and so it shall be done

I propose increasing the weight classes to 10 and increasing the spots per class to 32!

Bam, problem solved!!

 

[SPOONER]

Can someone educate me as to why our guys have to go to Turkey and face international competition to qualify for their spot to compete in the Olympics as part of the U.S. team? Has it always been done like this? Other sports, you win your competition at the U.S. Nationals/Olympic Qualifier, you're on the team and/or in the Olympics.

That's not how it works in other sports. @Pennstate1985's post below touches on it.

Also, in sports like basketball, a country has to qualify in order to participate at the Olympics. Similar to what happens with weights in wrestling.

In track and field, you have to meet a minimum standard (time or distance) to even qualify to compete for a spot on your country's team. For example, if you can't run better than 10.0 seconds for the 100m sprint, you aren't invited to the Trials. Wrestling uses qualifying tournaments rather than set minimum levels of competence because it would be impossible to do that in wrestling.

 

[el dub]

I propose increasing the weight classes to 10 and increasing the spots per class to 32!

Bam, problem solved!!

That would be a great world tournament, imo.