Ben Askren calls Greco dumb, compares it to pickleball

[BruceyB]

5 hours ago, MPhillips said:

He'd make four.

[MPhillips]

5 hours ago, BruceyB said:

Just as well. Didn't you say you weren't interested in this thread?

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

12 hours ago, LJB said:

still waiting to hear what "on a regular basis" actually references or means...

@Interviewed_at_Weehawken we all know you are the weakest of the weak here so your babblings will never be quantified...

but fuk me i would love to hear who you think has worked out with them regularly....

 

[BruceyB]

1 hour ago, MPhillips said:

Just as well. Didn't you say you weren't interested in this thread?

I check-in to catch-up on the name calling. Guilty pleasure.

[bnwtwg]

On 10/13/2026 at 8:50 AM, Caveira said:

Don’t you auto qualify if it’s on your home soil?

Team sports yes, individual sports no

On 10/13/2026 at 8:59 AM, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

Not anymore

https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/Olympic-Games/LA28/WRE-LA28-Qualification-System.pdf

[bnwtwg]

What I am confused about is whether countries can go to the OG last chance. It reeks of legalese.

4th phase: 2028 World Qualification Tournament NOCs that already obtained a quota place in the first phases, across all styles, will not have the right to take part in this 4th qualification phase. Only the NOCs/NFs that did not obtain a quota place during the first phases, may participate in this 4th phase. These NOCs/NFs will be allowed to register a maximum of two athletes, across all styles. The highest ranked athlete in each of the 18 Olympic weight categories will obtain one quota place for their NOC for the LA28 Olympic Games

1. Can my country go if the weight is not qualified, no matter what?
    
2. Can my country go only if they didn't qualify for at least one other weight in the same style? Eg: we didn't qualify 65kg MFS, but did qualify at least 57kg MFS, so can we still send a 65kg MFS to OG last chance?
    
3. Can my country go only if they didn't qualify for at least one other weight in any other style? Eg: we didn't qualify 86kg greco, but did qualify at least 57kg MFS, so can we still send a 86kg greco to OG last chance?

Seems very confusing. There are two total slots for OG last chance for a country across 18 styles/weights. . But also, you're essentially looking at a theoretical unlimited number of countries that don't compete in wrestling spending heavy $ to fly across the globe to a compete in a tournament with 1 spot available per weight/style.Are we looking at Bermuda, Grenada, Cambodia, Singapore etc getting their first wrestling rep? That honestly slots in to IOC's inclusion goal and wouldn't surprise me but is also ridiculously stupid.

[BruceyB]

21 hours ago, bnwtwg said:

What I am confused about is whether countries can go to the OG last chance. It reeks of legalese.

4th phase: 2028 World Qualification Tournament NOCs that already obtained a quota place in the first phases, across all styles, will not have the right to take part in this 4th qualification phase. Only the NOCs/NFs that did not obtain a quota place during the first phases, may participate in this 4th phase. These NOCs/NFs will be allowed to register a maximum of two athletes, across all styles. The highest ranked athlete in each of the 18 Olympic weight categories will obtain one quota place for their NOC for the LA28 Olympic Games

1. Can my country go if the weight is not qualified, no matter what?
    
2. Can my country go only if they didn't qualify for at least one other weight in the same style? Eg: we didn't qualify 65kg MFS, but did qualify at least 57kg MFS, so can we still send a 65kg MFS to OG last chance?
    
3. Can my country go only if they didn't qualify for at least one other weight in any other style? Eg: we didn't qualify 86kg greco, but did qualify at least 57kg MFS, so can we still send a 86kg greco to OG last chance?

Seems very confusing. There are two total slots for OG last chance for a country across 18 styles/weights. . But also, you're essentially looking at a theoretical unlimited number of countries that don't compete in wrestling spending heavy $ to fly across the globe to a compete in a tournament with 1 spot available per weight/style.Are we looking at Bermuda, Grenada, Cambodia, Singapore etc getting their first wrestling rep? That honestly slots in to IOC's inclusion goal and wouldn't surprise me but is also ridiculously stupid.

Your country cannot enter the OG last chance qualifier if they have any qualifiers in any of the 18 styles/weights. If you are qualified at 53kg in WFS, then you cannot send any athletes to the event, not only in Women's FS, but you cannot send athletes for Men's Freestyle or Greco either. You are 100% correct in your last statement that the goal seems to be 100% inclusion based. 

Before lambasting the IOC for this decision, it is important to note that they completely overhauled the previous qualification system and it seemingly should be pretty difficult for a country that deserves a slot to failed to secure one. The OG Last Chance Qualifier should be essentially how the last couple of spots at each weight are awarded among non-traditional wrestling countries. I don't think we will see anything like JO in 2016, or Spencer and Zain in 2024 where we have to rely on an all-or-nothing event under the new system.

 

[bnwtwg]

If it does indeed mean only countries that haven't qualified, then chances are those national federations are not going to use the financial resources necessary to get their athletes to wherever the OG qualifier will take place for a sport they do not care about. They will also be Eddie Eagle / Raygun levels of embarassingly outclassed if they do qualify. They would never do this for track or swimming.

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

2 hours ago, bnwtwg said:

If it does indeed mean only countries that haven't qualified, then chances are those national federations are not going to use the financial resources necessary to get their athletes to wherever the OG qualifier will take place for a sport they do not care about. They will also be Eddie Eagle / Raygun levels of embarassingly outclassed if they do qualify. They would never do this for track or swimming.

Here is where I make my bid for Ireland again!

[Jon_Kozak]

I will say - the Greco matches at Worlds have been better this year. I've called matches here for a day and a half and haven't had one 1-1 match yet!

[LemonPie]

2 wins too many at Worlds so far. The kind of resources that should be going to Men’s or Women’s freestyle.

[LemonPie]

 

 

^ LJB when asked to perform any athletic feat outside of an arm-drag. 

[RAFWiki]

3 hours ago, LemonPie said:

2 wins too many at Worlds so far. The kind of resources that should be going to Men’s or Women’s freestyle.

A member of Team Russia was shadowing at New York City RTC last month and was shocked at how much of a shithole it was compared to Russia's training facilities

Imagine if USA Wrestling used the money they budget for Greco to upgrade the facilities instead

[ionel]

34 minutes ago, RAFWiki said:

A member of Team Russia was shadowing at New York City RTC last month and was shocked at how much of a shithole it was compared to Russia's training facilities

Imagine if USA Wrestling used the money they budget for Greco to upgrade the facilities instead

... but we'd lose three fans ... ok maybe four ...

[BruceyB]

On 10/20/2026 at 12:54 PM, bnwtwg said:

If it does indeed mean only countries that haven't qualified, then chances are those national federations are not going to use the financial resources necessary to get their athletes to wherever the OG qualifier will take place for a sport they do not care about. They will also be Eddie Eagle / Raygun levels of embarassingly outclassed if they do qualify. They would never do this for track or swimming.

I was going to send that after reading the first sentence. You already mentioned her, but I figured there's never a bad time for a RayGun gif.

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

7 hours ago, RAFWiki said:

A member of Team Russia was shadowing at New York City RTC last month and was shocked at how much of a shithole it was compared to Russia's training facilities

Imagine if USA Wrestling used the money they budget for Greco to upgrade the facilities instead

But it isn't the national training facility?

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

7 hours ago, RAFWiki said:

A member of Team Russia was shadowing at New York City RTC last month and was shocked at how much of a shithole it was compared to Russia's training facilities

Imagine if USA Wrestling used the money they budget for Greco to upgrade the facilities instead

This doesn't look that great.  Nice wall mats!

[RAFWiki]

1 hour ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

This doesn't look that great.  Nice wall mats!

This is New York City RTC. It's directly above a car wash and does not have showers:

[Simpleman424]

9 minutes ago, RAFWiki said:

This is New York City RTC. It's directly above a car wash and does not have showers:

Place has a certain edge about it…

[ionel]

18 minutes ago, Simpleman424 said:

Place has a certain edge about it…

... what use talk'n bout ...

[Simpleman424]

14 minutes ago, ionel said:

... what use talk'n bout ...

It’s super deep, you won’t get it…

[ionel]

16 minutes ago, Simpleman424 said:

It’s super deep, you won’t get it…

I'm hurt.  

[Simpleman424]

3 minutes ago, ionel said:

I'm hurt.  

Well now all the nerds will get it…

[ionel]

3 minutes ago, Simpleman424 said:

Well now all the nerds will get it…

... but maybe not the JBLs.  

[BruceyB]

4 hours ago, RAFWiki said:

This is New York City RTC. It's directly above a car wash and does not have showers:

Doesn't the NYRTC's building say a lot more about how desirable it is to be an NYRTC athlete rather than where USAW is spending their money? I am admittedly not that knowledgeable about this topic, but NYC doesn't seem like a very fiscally practical place to put a state of the art wrestling facility.