Jordan Oliver makes U.S. Olympic group

FORT Worthy of, Texas — Jordan Oliver had two plans coming into this weekend.

His to start with, make the U.S. men’s freestyle Olympic crew.

His second, qualify the body weight for the 2021 Olympic Video games in Tokyo.

Oliver attained that first target on Saturday evening. He defeated Joey McKenna in the most effective-of-a few championship finals at 65 kilograms (143 lbs .) at the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials in this article at Dickies Arena.

“We are just climbing the mountain and producing adjustments,” Oliver reported. The eyesight is an Olympic gold medal, and this is on the route, on the journey to do so.”

The two-time NCAA champion for Oklahoma Point out swept McKenna in the best-of-a few finals, winning by scores of 3- and 5-2. Oliver transformed a takedown in the 2nd period whilst on the shot-clock to ice the to start with match, then jumped out to a 5- lead in the 1st period of the second match, which was more than enough to clinch the collection.

Oliver was formerly a combined -4 in his last two trips to the U.S. Olympic Trials (-2 in each 2012 and 2016), but went 4- this weekend. He outscored his opponents by a combined 20-9, defeating Penn Condition nationwide champion Nick Lee and Cornell star Yianni Diakomihalis on Friday before beating McKenna 2 times on Saturday.

The Pennsylvania native is now the 33rd former Cowboy wrestler to make the U.S. Olympic crew, but he continue to has work to do if he desires to be the 33rd former Cowboy wrestler to contend in the Olympics.

The United States has nevertheless to qualify Oliver’s excess weight for this summer’s Tokyo Games, which are established to get started July 23. A Previous Opportunity Olympic Qualifier is set for May possibly 6-9 in Bulgaria.

The top-two finishers at each fat there will qualify their respective international locations for the Olympic Online games — and Oliver is keen for the possibility.

“It commences appropriate now,” Oliver mentioned. “Heading property and jumping proper again on the horse. You will find not much too a great deal time to celebrate. This is a little something that requirements to be performed and a little something that we have been concentrating on.

“We recognize the approach of currently being an Olympian and achieving a gold medal. This is an additional action towards the supreme goal. We need to have to go acquire this qualifier, qualify the excess weight and then go just take on the globe and provide house an Olympic gold medal.”

Of the 32 prior Oklahoma State wrestlers that competed in the Olympics, nine have received gold. Kendall Cross was the very last, in 1996. Coleman Scott was the very last former Cowboy wrestler to win a medal at the Olympics, professing bronze in 2012.

As it comes about, Scott was in a comparable predicament that yr. He truly gained the the Olympic Trials when two other People in america, Shawn Bunch and Reece Humphrey, trained to qualify the pounds, then at 60 kilos (132 lbs) around the same time.