Olympic Wrestling- Team USA

[devildog47959]

I know we r about 2 months away from the 2012 Summer Games, but I am super excited!  Here is a list of  Team USA Team Members in all 3 Styles

Freestyle:
http://www.themat.com/usawrestling.org/nationalteams.php?page=fs_olympic

Greco-Roman:
http://www.themat.com/usawrestling.org/nationalteams.php?page=gr_olympic

Womens Freestyle:
http://www.themat.com/usawrestling.org/nationalteams.php?page=w_olympic

Full Schedule:
http://www.london2012.com/wrestling/schedule-and-results/index.html

[devildog47959]

Question regarding the schedule, Is the olympic tournament seeded? Round Robin? Ive never really followed olympic or international competition until this year, how do they do the brackets? Double elimination?

Im sure 1 of the much older & wiser Indianamat wrestling gods can answer a few of those questions 

[MattM]

Random draw brackets.  Anyone who loses to the finalists can wrestle back for one of two 3rd places in the repechaghe (which is as close to double elimination as you get). The short explanation of a repechage is basically a ladder system of when you were eliminated by the finalists battling back to the 3rd medals on each side of the bracket.   Awarding two 3rd basically hands more medals out allowing more countries to get one which is kinda a consolation prize for them eliminationg the number of weight classes over the years.  The current system with the repechage allows the weight to move along faster and be completed in one day.   However, it occasionally means a deserving wrestler is elininated early and has a hard time coming back for a medal if tue brackets very one sided.  The many forms of the old system did allow for things like pool wrestling and double elimination but thats been eliminated to shorten the process.  The IOC and FILA currenty like that this set up also occasionally helps some of the lesser known countries win a few rounds or even medal which hopeful helps gains more interest in the sport for that area in wrestling.

[wildcatcountry97]

Thanks for the links. I really thought we'd see Nicky Simmons at 55...

(uh oh lookout, mck and maligned are going to blast me for making a post that doesn't include the names Tsirtsis or Howe)

[maligned]

Thanks for the links. I really thought we'd see Nicky Simmons at 55...

(uh oh lookout, mck and maligned are going to blast me for making a post that doesn't include the names Tsirtsis or Howe)

Come on, man.    I enjoy reading your posts and appreciate the effort to draw out a little international talk.  Truth be told, I get bored of some of the same regurgitated discussions too.  My only point was that I'm not sure we should have any other expectation from a high school site than that there's a lot of high school or ex-indiana high schooler talk. 

I like Simmons, too, but I wasn't sold on his chances for a medal despite his run at worlds.  I'm not sold on Hazewinkel's chances either (he just lost this weekend to the European champ Turk that Obe Blanc beat at the same tournament), but I don't mind giving someone different a shot.   It's just such a close weight class among about 5 guys in the U.S., I'm not sure there's a clear-cut #1.  That, for me, means it's not our strongest division.

[maligned]

Question regarding the schedule, Is the olympic tournament seeded? Round Robin? Ive never really followed olympic or international competition until this year, how do they do the brackets? Double elimination?

Im sure 1 of the much older & wiser Indianamat wrestling gods can answer a few of those questions 

To add to what MattM said, the ridiculous bracketing is actually a regular topic of discussion.  It's not only a random draw (which I don't like, but I could get over), but it pushes ALL the byes to one side of the bracket.  At the Olympics, men's weights will have 19-20 wrestlers and women's will have 18-19.  So, a typical men's weight will have 8 guys on one side and 11-12 on the other.  This significantly increases the chances that the best 2 guys don't meet in the final.  It's even worse at other tournaments, where there may be 24 guys--resulting in 16 on one side and 8 on the other.  It's downright silly.  You can easily have the 15th best guy in the semi-finals with this system.

I will say this, though; for the Olympics, the worldwide qualifying system was stringent enough that you're not going to have any non-wrestling nations occupying semi-finals spots.   There will only be 2 or 3 potential "gimme" opponents in each weight.

[Butt Drag]

I know we r about 2 months away from the 2012 Summer Games, but I am super excited!  Here is a list of  Team USA Team Members in all 3 Styles

Interesting to look at their youth, highschool backgrounds:

GRECO: Mostly Midwestern guys (MO, IL, OH, WI, MN, NC).  Four guy from Northern Michican Univ where they host the
Greco U.S. Olympic Education Center program for Greco and that the North Michigan Greco Program is starting to supplant
the Military / Armed Forces Greco program for experience.

FREESTYLE:   STATES: FL (2), PA (2),  NJ, CA, TX

55KG - Sam Hazewinkel
   High School:   FL   State Championships: 3X    Career Record:   140-0
Junior Freestyle:   Junior National Champ
   College:    Oklahoma   4 xAA

60KG   Coleman Scott   
High School:   PA    State Championships: 3X    Career Record:   156-12
Junior Freestyle:   Junior National Champ
   College:    Oklahoma State   4 xAA   - 8th, 5th, 2nd, 1st

66KG   Jared Frayer
High School:   FL    State Championships: 3X    Career Record:   140 – 4
Junior Freestyle:   Junior National Champ
   College:    Oklahoma   2 xAA      Q, Q, 4th, 2nd

74KG   Jordan Burroughs
High School:   NJ    State Championships: 1x   Career Record:   115-20
Junior Freestyle:   Not in highschool but as Freshman in College
   College:    Nebraska   3 xAA      Q, 3, 1st, 1st

84KG   Jake Herbert
High School:   PA    State Championships: 1x   Career Record:   141-18
Junior Freestyle:   Not sure
   College:    Northwestern   4 xAA      3,2.1st, 1st

96KG   Jake Varner
 High School:   CA    State Championships: 2x   Career Record:   159-10
Junior Freestyle:   Junior National champ, 3rd, FILA World Junior Team
   College:    IA State    4 xAA      2,2,1st, 1st

120KG   Tervel Dlagnev
 High School:   TX    State Championships: 0      Career Record:   3rd place, 4th place
Junior Freestyle:   World University champion
   College:    Nebraska-Kearney (DIV-II)   4 xAA      6,2nd, 1st, 1st  (Div – II)

[devildog47959]

Interesting to look at their youth, highschool backgrounds:

GRECO: Mostly Midwestern guys (MO, IL, OH, WI, MN, NC).  Four guy from Northern Michican Univ where they host the
Greco U.S. Olympic Education Center program for Greco and that the North Michigan Greco Program is starting to supplant
the Military / Armed Forces Greco program for experience.

FREESTYLE:   STATES: FL (2), PA (2),  NJ, CA, TX

55KG - Sam Hazewinkel
   High School:   FL   State Championships: 3X    Career Record:   140-0
Junior Freestyle:   Junior National Champ
   College:    Oklahoma   4 xAA

60KG   Coleman Scott   
High School:   PA    State Championships: 3X    Career Record:   156-12
Junior Freestyle:   Junior National Champ
   College:    Oklahoma State   4 xAA   - 8th, 5th, 2nd, 1st

66KG   Jared Frayer
High School:   FL    State Championships: 3X    Career Record:   140 – 4
Junior Freestyle:   Junior National Champ
   College:    Oklahoma   2 xAA      Q, Q, 4th, 2nd

74KG   Jordan Burroughs
High School:   NJ    State Championships: 1x   Career Record:   115-20
Junior Freestyle:   Not in highschool but as Freshman in College
   College:    Nebraska   3 xAA      Q, 3, 1st, 1st

84KG   Jake Herbert
High School:   PA    State Championships: 1x   Career Record:   141-18
Junior Freestyle:   Not sure
   College:    Northwestern   4 xAA      3,2.1st, 1st

96KG   Jake Varner
 High School:   CA    State Championships: 2x   Career Record:   159-10
Junior Freestyle:   Junior National champ, 3rd, FILA World Junior Team
   College:    IA State    4 xAA      2,2,1st, 1st

120KG   Tervel Dlagnev
 High School:   TX    State Championships: 0      Career Record:   3rd place, 4th place
Junior Freestyle:   World University champion
   College:    Nebraska-Kearney (DIV-II)   4 xAA      6,2nd, 1st, 1st  (Div – II)

Hey thanks for the breakdowns, I didn't realize that Dlagnev was a DII wrestler in college

only a few more weeks, we r getting closer!!!!

[devildog47959]

Only 4.5 days until the start of Greco!

[Ahawkeye]

Does anyone have a TV schedule for this? I can find the event schedule but I get a message that the site is getting a lot of volume and to check back later. Well, I've tried and continue to get the same message.

[MattM]

Does anyone have a TV schedule for this? I can find the event schedule but I get a message that the site is getting a lot of volume and to check back later. Well, I've tried and continue to get the same message.

Online is by far your best option for watching live or the replays.   However, I'd check soon to see if that's an option, since not all cable providers paid NBC to allow for the full coverage (mine only allows for the regular NBC showing).

TV Schedule

Sunday, August 5
12:15 PM    1:00 PM    Wrestling    Greco Roman qualifying    TAPED    MSNBC
4:20 PM    5:15 PM    Wrestling    Greco Roman gold medal final    TAPED    MSNBC

Monday, August 6
11:15 AM    12:15 PM    Wrestling    Greco Roman qualifying    TAPED    MSNBC
2:30 PM    3:30 PM    Wrestling    Greco Roman gold medal final    LIVE    MSNBC

Tuesday, August 7
4:45 PM    5:30 PM    Wrestling    Greco Roman gold medal final    TAPED    MSNBC

Wednesday, August 8
4:00 PM    4:30 PM    Women’s Wrestling    Freestyle gold medal finals (48kg and 63kg classes)    TAPED    MSNBC

Thursday, August 9
10:45 AM    12:00 AM    Women’s Wrestling    Qualfying (55kg and 72kg classes)    TAPED    NBC Sports Network
2:00 PM    2:30 PM    Women’s Wrestling    Repechages (55kg and 72kg classes)    TAPED    NBC Sports Network
5:00 PM    6:00 PM    Women’s Wrestling    Gold medal finals (55kg and 72kg classes)    TAPED    NBC Sports Network

Friday, August 10
11:00 AM    12:00 PM    Men’s Wrestling    Freestyle qualifying (55kg and 74kg classes)    TAPED    NBC Sports Network
1:30 PM    2:30 PM    Men’s Wrestling    Freestyle repechages (55kg and 74kg classes)    TAPED    MSNBC
2:45 PM    3:30 PM    Men’s Wrestling    Freestyle finals (55kg and 74kg classes)    TAPED    NBC

Saturday, August 11
2:15 PM    2:45 PM    Wrestling    Freestyle (60kg, 84kg, 120kg classes)    TAPED    NBC
12:30 AM    1:30 AM    Men’s Wrestling    Freestyle gold medal finals (60kg, 84kg and 120kg classes)    TAPED    NBC*

Sunday, August 12
7:00 AM    8:30 AM    Wrestling    Freestyle qualifying    TAPED    MSNBC
2:45 PM    4:00 PM    Wrestling    Freestyle finals (66kg and 96kg classes)    TAPED    NBC

[devildog47959]

Thanks for the TV schedule MM, o can't believe not all gold medal matches are being shown live!

Is it going to be streamed live online? Who is steaming, USA wrestling? Can anybody Post a link? Thanks! Let's go bring home the gold!

[quinnsDAD]

Go to NBC Olympic page links for live coverage.

[maligned]

Day 1 of 3 in Greco:

55kg: Spenser Mango wins over Egypt then gets thumped pretty badly by the World Champ Azerbaijani in the round of 16.
If the Azerbaijani makes the final, to get bronze, Mango will have to beat, in succession, both the Russian and Chinese world bronze medalists from last year and most likely the Cuban that beat him at Pan Am's.   Very tough side of the bracket.

74kg: Ben Provisor beats a Cuban then gets handled by a Georgian.  His bracket isn't overly loaded, so the Georgian could possibly get through and Provisor would not have to beat any of last year's medalists in repechage rounds in an attempt at bronze.

[julio]

I just saw my good friend Jan Hesser on TV working the London Olympics.

[MattM]

RESULTS SPOILER: 55kg Mango eliminated in the repechage two matches away from the Bronze medal match.  74kg Provisor eliminated and did not make the repechage.

Up tomorrow 60kg E. Colman, 84kg Betts, and 120kg Byers

[maligned]

Day 2 Greco (SPOILERS):

60kg: Ellis Coleman (flying squirrel) loses handily to the world bronze medalist Bulgarian.  His side of the bracket also has the gold and silver winners from worlds last year, so he's most likely done for the tournament.

84kg: Chas Betts wins first round against Micronesia.  He's got the Cuban that beat him at Pan Am's next.  If he wins that, he'd have World Silver medalist Pole in the quarters.

120kg: Dremiel Byers gets a bye then beats Uzbekistan.   He's got the World Champ Turk in the quarters.  World Silver medalist awaits in the semi's if he wins in the quarters.

[maligned]

Betts loses to Cuba and has to hope for a couple upsets to get back in the repechage.

Coleman officially out.

Byers up against the world champ at 9:57am.

[maligned]

Byers loses 1-0, 1-0 to the Turk.  The Turk now must beat the Cuban in a world championship rematch for Byers to be back in.  He would then need to beat a Ukrainian to get into the bronze medal match.

[maligned]

Byers and Betts both out.

Through 2 days and 5 weight classes: 4-6 record and no one past the quarterfinals.

[MattM]

The last day of Greco on Tues.  66kg Lester and 96kg Johnson

[maligned]

We didn't qualify for 96kg.  Just Lester tomorrow.

[TripleB]

Olympic's tourney style is very frustrating, very similar to the old IHSAA "piggyback" system.

[Y2CJ41]

Justin "Harry" Lester got his draw and some luck finally fell on the USA's side.  He has a really good draw.

[MattM]

We didn't qualify for 96kg.  Just Lester tomorrow.

Oh yeah, slipped my mind..  Ruiz was unable to win the qualifiers.