Olympic gold medalist David Taylor was eliminated from the U.S. wrestling trials by Aaron Brooks, while other notable wrestlers including Kyle Snyder, Kyle Dake, Helen Maroulis, and Kennedy Blades secured their spots on the U.S. Olympic team for the 2024 Games.
Oh boy, David Taylor’s dreams of another championship took a hit. A big one. He suffered a shocking upset at the U.S. wrestling trials on Saturday. And where did this all go down? State College, Penn.
Taylor, the 2020 Olympic gold medalist, is often touted as the best pound-for-pound wrestler worldwide. But, guess what? He was knocked out by Aaron Brooks, a fellow Penn State alum. Brooks isn’t just any wrestler, though. He’s a four-time NCAA wrestling champ under the guidance of head coach Cael Sanderson.
Brooks didn’t just win. He dominated. He took out Taylor in back-to-back wins in a best-of-three competition. This victory secured his spot on the U.S. Olympic team. And here’s the kicker: Taylor had previously defeated Brooks in a dominant fashion at the U.S. World Team Trials. But this time, Brooks was the one showing off his power and poise.
Taylor, 33, might’ve just missed his last shot at another Olympic medal with his loss on Saturday. Meanwhile, two-time Olympic medalist Kyle Snyder is heading back to the Olympics. He’s the youngest gold medal winner in U.S. history, and he’s just secured his third straight birth to the U.S. team.
On the women’s side, Helen Maroulis is making her third straight appearance at the Olympics. She’s the first American woman to ever win gold in wrestling, and she’s hunting for another medal win in Paris.
Kennedy Blades, a 20-year-old wrestling prodigy, pulled off a massive win on Saturday. She eliminated 2020 Olympic silver medalist Adeline Gray in two straight matches. Now, she’s joining the U.S. Olympic team and will represent the country in 2024.
Another 20-year-old prodigy, Amit Elor, also made the Olympic team. She shut down Forrest Molinary in two straight matches. Elor has won gold in back-to-back World Championships and is the favorite to capture gold at the 2024 Olympics.
The complete results for the U.S. Olympic wrestling world team trials can be found below. Note: Some weight classes have not yet qualified for the Games in Paris. Those wrestlers have one more shot at an upcoming tournament to qualify. If they don’t, the U.S. won’t send athletes to Paris in those divisions.