American wrestlers will vie to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic wrestling team on Friday and Saturday (19-20 April) in State College, Pennsylvania, the home of Penn State and its 13 NCAA wrestling championships.
The United States leads the world in weights that have secured Olympic quotas for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. All six women’s freestyle weights have obtained quotas, as well as four men’s freestyle and three Greco-Roman.
For those weight classes, the next step for American wrestlers with Olympic dreams is the trials. Day one of the event will feature a challenge tournament. 230 wrestlers have earned spots in the challenge tournament, qualifying through a variety of means including tournaments, winning an NCAA championship and previous performances at the international level.
The winners of those tournaments will advance to day two, where they will face the wrestler who secured the quota for that weight class in a best-of-three series. For example, at 68 kg in women’s freestyle, Amit Elor won the 2023 World Championship, securing a quota for the U.S. at that weight. Elor won’t wrestle until Saturday (20 April), where she will face the 68 kg challenge tournament winner. They will wrestle at least two matches, and a third if needed, to decide who will get to wrestle in Paris for Team USA.
As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
• Click here to see the official qualification system for each sport.
Women’s freestyle: Can Amit Elor keep up her golden streak?
50 kg - Sarah Hildebrandt has owned this weight since she first medaled at the world championships in 2018. She has an Olympic bronze from Tokyo 2020, as well as two silver and two bronze world medals. The bronze in 2023 secured a quota for the U.S. for Paris, and means she has already earned a spot in the best of three series. She will have plenty of competition, though, facing Whitney Conder, a four-time world team member, and young up and comers Audrey Jiminez and Nyla Valencia.
53 kg - Dominique Parrish has a berth in the best-of-three series with by securing the U.S. a quota at the Pan American Wrestling Olympic Qualifying Tournament. She won worlds in 2022. One of her toughest competitors could be Jacarra Winchester, a two-time world medalist at 55 kg, a non-Olympic weight.
57 kg - Helen Maroulis won her first world medal in 2012. After over a decade and an Olympic gold medal, she took bronze at worlds, securing a quota for the U.S. and a berth in the best-of-three series for herself. One of Maroulis’ toughest tests could come from Abigaile Nette, a 2022 world team member.
62 kg - Kayla Miracle, a two-time silver medalist at worlds, secured a quota for the U.S. with two quick wins at the Pan American Olympic Wrestling Qualifier. She could find a tough competition from Jennifer Page, a world bronze medalist at 59 kg in 2023, or Macey Kilty, who won silver at worlds at 65 kg.
68 kg – Heading into the Olympic Trials, Amit Elor is the two-time world gold medalist, having won her first worlds in 2022 and repeating in 2023, but she won those at 72 kg, a non-Olympic weight. Elor wrestled at the Pan American Olympic Wrestling Qualifier and secured the quota for the United States at 68 kg. With 2020 gold medalist Tamyra Mensah-Stock now signed with WWE, Elor’s biggest competition will likely be from a less known wrestler.
76 kg- Since winning silver in Tokyo, Adeline Gray has become the mother of twins and then added a world bronze medal to her trophy case. She secured the quota for the U.S. at the Pan American Olympic Wrestling Qualifier in February, and now hopes to return to the Olympics and wrestle in Paris. She could be challenged by Dymond Guilford, the woman who stepped in at worlds while Gray was on maternity leave.
Men’s freestyle: Does David Taylor have more magic in him?
74 kg – Do not miss the competition at 74 kg. Kyle Dake won silver at the 2023 worlds, securing a quota for the U.S. He won gold at the 2022 worlds and a bronze in Tokyo. His biggest challenge will be his longtime rival, 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs. Young up and comers like NCAA champions David Carr or Carter Starocci could also make a run for the spot.
86 kg – David Taylor won his NCAA titles at Penn State, so he will be wrestling in front of a home crowd. Since his collegiate career, he’s won Olympic gold in Tokyo and three world championships. His toughest competition may be another Nittany Lion: Aaron Brooks, who just won his fourth NCAA title earlier this year. Zahid Valencia, who won bronze at worlds at 92 kg, could also be in the running.
97 kg - Kyle Snyder’s medal haul includes an Olympic gold from Rio 2016, a silver from Tokyo 2020 and seven world medals, including a bronze in 2023 that secured a quota for the U.S. at 97kg. He could be challenged by Isaac Trumble, a young star who recently won the under-23 world championship.
125 kg- A bronze medalist at the 2023 worlds, Mason Parris secured a quota for the U.S. for Paris. Two people who he might face in the best of three tournament are Nick Gwiazdowski, a two-time world medalist, and Dom Bradley, the 2023 U.S. senior nationals champ.
Greco-Roman: Can Spencer Woods keep up his winning streak?
87 kg - Spencer Woods had a memorable run at the Pan American Wrestling Olympic Qualifying Tournament, earning a quota for the U.S. The winner of the challenge tournament will likely come from an experienced group, as three Olympians will compete: John Stefanowicz, Ben Provisor and Mahmoud Sebie.
97 kg - Alan Vera began his wrestling career for Cuba, but started wrestling for the United States in the 2019 season. Earlier this year, he obtained a quota for the U.S. at 97kg at the Pan American Wrestling Olympic Qualifying Tournament. The challenge tournament is full of tough competitors, including two world team members in Josef Rau and Braxton Amos, and 2020 Olympian G’Angelo Hanco*ck.
130 kg – Like the other Greco Roman wrestlers, Cohlton Schultz secured the quota for the U.S. at the Pan American Wrestling Olympic Qualifying Tournament. He has the strongest chance of representing the U.S. in Paris.
What happens for the weight classes that haven’t obtained a quota?
The United States has not obtained quotas in men’s freestyle weights 57 kg and 65 kg, or Greco-Roman weights 60 kg, 67 kg and 77 kg. USA Wrestling will still contest a challenge tournament at those weights, and the winners will go to the World Qualification Tournament in Istanbul, Türkiye, on 9-12 May to try to finish in the top three to earn a quota for the United States.
How to watch
Trials will run on Peaco*ck and the USA Network. In the U.S., Peaco*ck will have coverage of every mat, with USA Network airing the finals of the challenge tournament on Friday (19 April) and the finals of the best-of-three series on Saturday (20 April.)
Schedule
Friday, 19 April (All time Eastern)
Session 1: 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Challenge Tournament: Preliminaries, Quarterfinals and Consolation Rounds
Session 2: 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Challange Tournament: Semifinals and Finals
Saturday, 20 April
Session 3: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Challenge Tournament: Consolations, Consolation Semi-finals, 3rd place and True 3rd (if needed)
Session 4: 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Final 2 out of 3 Championship Series Rounds two and three
