Glory Days

[bdhof]

Something unusual happened this past year. Team USA failed to win a gold in the OLY for the first time since 1980 when they did not compete (boycott). If you don't count that one, then go back another 12 years to 1968. That's 56 years between those two years. The 60s were not kind to USA wrestling, amassing just 5 golds (OLY & Worlds) in 10 years, 3 in 1960 and 2 in 1969. That's zero (0) from 1961-1968. While I hope we're not facing that kind of a slump, we are seeing the dismantling of perhaps the greatest collection of USA gold medal talent ever. #1 on the gold medal list JB (7 gold, 10 medals), T #4 Snyder (4 gold, 9 medals), T #4 Dake (4 gold, 7 medals), T #4 Taylor 4 gold, 5 medals), and T #10 Cox (2 gold, 6 medals). I'm not sure how many of this group is still competing other than Snyder, but they all are beyond their best years. That's not to say that one or more couldn't get another gold or 2, but 4 golds like in 2022 (w/o RUS?) isn't likely again. I'm glad I witnessed this collection of talent and hope I see another group come close to this group.

 

[bdhof]

I think the only one officially retired is Cox. It’ll be interesting to see how many of the others make the team. Snyder doesn’t have a strong US challenger that I can think of. JB really struggled fighting off Messinbrink last year. Taylor may be done. Dake is probably not as safe as Snyder but a favorite at his weight.

 

[bdhof]

If you make total medals the tie-breaker for the list of US wrestlers with the most golds, the standings are as follows:
Gold/total medals
#1 Burroughs 7/10
#2 Smith 6/6
#3 Baumgartner 5/13
#4 Snyder 4/9
#5 Dake 4/7
#6 Taylor 4/5
#7 Kemp 3/4
T #8 K Jackson 3/3
T #8 M Schultz 3/3
#10 D Schultz 2/7
#11 Cox 2/6

So, this group of 5 - JB, Dake, Taylor, Cox and Snyder - are ranked #1, #4, #5, #6 and #11. This group also spearheaded a World Team championships for Team USA in 2022 (no RUS) w/ 4 golds and a bronze (Cox). Prior to 79kg & 92kg being added, Burroughs, Cox and Snyder led Team USA to the World Team Championship in 2017. The added weights made room for Dake at 79kg and Taylor at 86kg w/ Cox moving up to 92kg. In 2023 cracks in the group surfaced w/ JB and Cox didn't make the World team (not sure what happened here). JB lost to Marstellar in the trials. In the 2024 OLY only Dake medaled w/ a bronze. Snyder failed to medal. Taylor took a bronze in the non OLY wts and Burroughs failed to medal. Cox lost in the trials and left his shoes on the mat.

 

[Yankeefan33]

A huge difference between now and even 10 years ago is the massive wave of transfers out of Russia. Out of the 24 men's freestyle medals at the Olympics, Russian born wrestlers won 7 of them without Russia even competing at the event. You don't have to beat one Russian to win gold nowadays, you have to beat two or three.

 

[1$’s 2¢]

If you make total medals the tie-breaker for the list of US wrestlers with the most golds, the standings are as follows:
Gold/total medals
#1 Burroughs 7/10
#2 Smith 6/0
#3 Baumgartner 5/13
#4 Snyder 4/9
#5 Dake 4/7
#6 Taylor 4/5
#7 Kemp 3/4
T #8 K Jackson 3/0
T #8 M Schultz 3/0
#10 D Schultz 2/7
#11 Cox 2/6

So, this group of 5 - JB, Dake, Taylor, Cox and Snyder - are ranked #1, #4, #5, #6 and #11. This group also spearheaded a World Team championships for Team USA in 2022 (no RUS) w/ 4 golds and a bronze (Cox). Prior to 79kg & 92kg being added, Burroughs, Cox and Snyder led Team USA to the World Team Championship in 2017. The added weights made room for Dake at 79kg and Taylor at 86kg w/ Cox moving up to 92kg. In 2023 cracks in the group surfaced w/ JB and Cox didn't make the World team (not sure what happened here). JB lost to Marstellar in the trials. In the 2024 OLY only Dake medaled w/ a bronze. Snyder failed to medal. Taylor took a bronze in the non OLY wts and Burroughs failed to medal. Cox lost in the trials and left his shoes on the mat.

Question. Is the number after the slash total medals, including gold, or total non-gold medals? For Smith, Jackson, and M. Schultz, you show this number as zero. Should Smith be 6/6, which means he won 6 medals, all of which were gold? Or do you mean, for example, that Burroughs won 7 golds and 10 non-golds? TIA

 

[bdhof]

Question. Is the number after the slash total medals, including gold, or total non-gold medals? For Smith, Jackson, and M. Schultz, you show this number as zero. Should Smith be 6/6, which means he won 6 medals, all of which were gold? Or do you mean, for example, that Burroughs won 7 golds and 10 non-golds? TIA

I messed up. Total medals after the / .
I think they are right now. Thanks.

 

[bdhof]

A good article on the changing of the guard...

A New Era for the US Men's Freestyle Team?

In the 1998 hit “Closing Time” by Semisonic, the band sings that “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” That song came to me as I was following the World Team Trials this weekend, particularly from the men’s freestyle avenue of the tournament. In 2018, UWW expanded its weigh...

intermatwrestle.com

 

[bdhof]

This year only Snyder remains as a US rep from the Fab Five of the Glory Days. And Snyder, his last gold in '22 failed to medal in the '24 OLY, his first miss on a World/OLY medal since he won a World gold in 2015. DT and Cox apparently are retired, JB did not enter this year but won't say he is retired, and Dake failed to make the US Team. Snyder, who has been a lock to medal for his first 9 years is probably a 50/50 chance to medal this year. And he finally will have a legit challenger domestically as Brooks is planning to bump up to 97 next year. Brooks took out Taylor last year and has his eyes set on Snyder next year. He did not enter the competition this year due to injury. I'm looking forward to see what the next generation of MFS will bring us.

 

[MitSulHer]

A huge difference between now and even 10 years ago is the massive wave of transfers out of Russia. Out of the 24 men's freestyle medals at the Olympics, Russian born wrestlers won 7 of them without Russia even competing at the event. You don't have to beat one Russian to win gold nowadays, you have to beat two or three.

Or 15 of them.

The former Soviet Union consisted of 15 republics. These were: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.