Grok Ai: Verne Gagne was a highly accomplished amateur wrestler before transitioning to a legendary career in professional wrestling. Regarding his Olympic involvement, Gagne was an alternate for the U.S. freestyle wrestling team at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. He earned this position after a strong amateur career at the University of Minnesota, where he won two NCAA wrestling championships (1948 and 1949) and four Big Ten titles. However, he did not compete in the Olympics. There was some uncertainty about his amateur status due to reports that he had earned money wrestling at a carnival, which could have disqualified him under the strict amateur rules of the time. Additionally, while he qualified for the U.S. Greco-Roman team by finishing second in the freestyle wrestle-offs, the U.S. coaches decided not to field a Greco-Roman team at the Games, further preventing his participation. Thus, while Gagne was closely tied to the 1948 Olympics as an alternate, he did not actually wrestle in the competition. His Olympic experience remained a notable footnote in his storied athletic journey, which later saw him become a 10-time AWA World Heavyweight Champion and a key figure in professional wrestling history.