David Taylor was dominant in his return to competition (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The United States wrestling team arrived at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier with plenty of work to do in a pressure-packed environment.
And the Americans turned in a strong performance in all three styles.
The U.S. entered the weekend with only four weight classes -- two in men's freestyle and two in women's freestyle -- qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Those spots were secured with top-six finishes at the 2019 World Championships.
The number has now jumped to 15 weight classes overall after the American squad's showing at the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier this past weekend in Ottawa, Canada.
The Americans have now qualified in 5-of-6 weight classes in men's freestyle, all six classes in women's freestyle and 4-of-6 weights in Greco-Roman.
With limited seeding and no true-second place matches, the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier format is not an easy one for U.S. athletes to navigate. The best two wrestlers in a weight class don't always earn the Olympic qualifying berths.
The U.S. will have one more shot to qualify the remaining three weight classes at the Last Chance Olympic Qualifier in Sofia, Bulgaria. That event is being rescheduled at a later date with events worldwide being postponed because of the coronavirus.
Here are the grades I handed out for each American style from the qualifier in Canada:
Freestyle
The U.S. entered the Pan American event with two weight classes -- 74 kilograms and 97 kilograms -- already qualified for Tokyo after Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder won world medals in 2019.
The U.S. qualified 3-of-4 remaining weights Sunday in Ottawa, but suffered a huge setback when Zain Retherford suffered a stunning upset loss in the semifinals.
Retherford (65 kilograms), a past Cadet world champion and Senior world team member, was pinned in the semifinals by Argentina's Agustin Alejandro Destribats. Retherford scored a takedown and was trying to turn his opponent before the wrestler from Argentina countered to gain the fall.
Retherford came back to win his bronze-medal bout.
The U.S. freestyle team had three champions Sunday.
2018 world champion David Taylor (86 kilograms) looked superb in his return as he qualified his weight class for Tokyo. Taylor powered past a tough semifinal opponent in Cuba's Yuri Torreblanca 8-0 to qualify.
Taylor had been sidelined since suffering an injury in May 2019. Taylor won by forfeit default over Peru's Pool Ambrocio Greifo in the finals.
2017 world silver medalist Thomas Gilman (57 kilograms) delivered to qualify the lightest weight class for a trip to Japan.
Gilman rallied for a clutch 4-3 win over two-time U23 world champion Reineri Andreu Ortega of Cuba in the quarterfinals. Down 3-1 at the break, Gilman kept the pressure on and scored a huge second-period takedown to prevail.
Gilman followed by teching Juan Ramirez Beltre of the Dominican Republic 11-0 in the semifinals to qualify his weight class for the Olympics. He won by forfeit over Colombia's Oscar Tigreros Urbano in the finals.
Two-time world bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski (125 kilograms) powered his way into the finals to qualify the U.S. for a fifth weight class in freestyle.
Gwiazdowski won by forfeit over Canada's Amar Dhesi, a three-time All-American for Oregon State, in the finals.
None of the seven finals bouts in freestyle were wrestled Sunday after athletes already clinched Olympic berths for their countries with semifinal victories.
Grade: B-
Kayla Miracle, Helen Maroulis, Jacarra Winchester and Sarah Hildebrandt (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Women's wrestling
The U.S. entered the Pan Am event with two weight classes -- 68 kilograms and 76 kilograms -- already qualified for Tokyo after Tamyra Mensah-Stock and Adeline Gray won world titles in 2019.
Four more Americans followed suit in a near-flawless performance Saturday. The U.S. women will be represented in all six weight classes at the Olympics.
The biggest news was the return of 2016 Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion Helen Maroulis (57 kilograms), who turned in a dominant performance against some strong competition.
Maroulis opened with a 12-2 win over 2019 world champion Linda Morais of Canada. She later earned a hard-fought 6-2 win over Ecuador's Lissette Antes Castillo, a past world fifth-place finisher.
Maroulis looked impressive. She has been slowed by injuries since winning the 2017 world title, but she wrestled superbly during a high-stakes event Saturday.
Three other Americans -- reigning world champion Jacarra Winchester (53 kilograms), world silver medalist Sarah Hildebrandt (50 kilograms) and past world team member Kayla Miracle (62 kilograms) -- also turned in impressive performances Saturday.
Winchester looks like an Olympic gold medal contender. Her combination of speed, power and skill is going to be tough for her opponents to overcome.
Hildebrandt delivered in a huge semifinal bout Saturday, defeating past world champion Jessica MacDonald of Canada 11-0.
Winchester and Hildebrandt have dropped down a weight class, and both wrestlers looked outstanding in their new divisions.
Miracle continues to progress and defeated two proven veterans Saturday. She rolled past two-time Olympic bronze medalist Jacqueline Renteria of Colombia 11-0 before earning a 12-3 win over 2017 world bronze medalist Michelle Fazzari of Canada.
This is shaping up to be the best Olympic Team the U.S. has ever had in women's freestyle wrestling. The Olympic Trials will still determine who makes the team, but the American women look extremely strong right now. They have legitimate medal contenders in every weight class.
Grade: A+
Four U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers qualified their weight classes for the Olympics (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Greco-Roman
It is no secret that the American Greco-Roman program has struggled since winning the team title at the 2007 World Championships.
The last U.S. Olympic medalist in Greco is Adam Wheeler, who captured a bronze medal in 2008 in Beijing, China.
Coach Matt Lindland's U.S. Greco team is looking to bounce back in 2020 and his group turned a solid performance in Canada.
The U.S. came into the event with no weight classes qualified for Tokyo and left with four classes landing Olympic berths on Friday.
The draws are hugely important in this event with no true second-place matches. And the United States took advantage of those.
Americans Joe Rau (gold 87 kilograms), Ildar Hafizov (silver at 60 kilograms), Alejandro Sancho (silver at 67 kilograms) and G'Angelo Hancock (silver at 97 kilograms) qualified their weight classes for the Olympics.
Americans Pat Smith (77 kilograms) and Adam Coon (130 kilograms) had tough early draws before the finals and both came back to earn bronze medals. The U.S. will have one last chance to qualify for the Olympics at 77 kilograms and 130 kilograms in Bulgaria.
With the smaller Olympic field, and just 16 qualifiers per weight class, the U.S. Greco team will certainly have its opportunities to win medals in Tokyo.
Grade: B
Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.
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