Wrestling UWW American Olympic Games Qualifier 2020

[Totallympics 55]

Wrestling UWW American Olympic Games Qualifier 2020

 

Ottawa (CAN) - 13 March 2020 - 15 March 2020

 

 

Official Website

[MHSN 3,214]

Entries for Pan-American Qualifiers

https://unitedworldwrestling.org/article/pan-american-og-qualifier-entries

 

I know last minute change is always possible with these entries but I assume the number won't increase, which means we will have two-group format in so many weights. (by my count at least 6) too me that's more fair. two best wrestlers falling in the same half is not possible anymore. that's probably a bad news for some weaker wrestlers hoping for some luck to qualify.

 

I think USA and Cuba will grab most of men's freestyle (and even in some weights of Greco) quotas unless one of them is already qualified of maybe the blind draw puts them in one side of the bracket. there will be some kind of seeding but that won't change in much, it's still more like a "blind draw"

 

but to me the most interesting name is Oscar Pino ! per rules they should not let him to wrestle here. but who cares about the rules

 

Quote

Athletes who qualified quota places for their NOC at the 2019 Senior World Championships will not have the right to take part in the Continental qualification tournaments of this 2nd phase.

 

rules don't say he will be allowed if he changes his style ! he won a quota for Cuba at 130kg Greco, now he is trying 125kg freestyle. even though I think with 2-group format his chance is very slim. Gwiazdowski and Dhesi will grab those two quotas IMO. I really feel sorry for this guy. he can be the Olympic champion (with Kayaalp getting weaker) but he is sticking behind the great Mijain Lopez and has to try freestyle which he is terrible at.

[heywoodu 13,555]

4 hours ago, MHSN said:

the great Mijain Lopez 

This means Lopez is still very much active and going for another gold?  

[MHSN 3,214]

4 hours ago, heywoodu said:

This means Lopez is still very much active and going for another gold?  

 

sure, we knew that for a while. for a year actually.

 

winning another gold (which is very possible in my opinion) will make him the best wrestler ever at the Olympics with 4 gold medals. the great Karelin has 3 gold (and 1 silver)

[heywoodu 13,555]

2 minutes ago, MHSN said:

 

sure, we knew that for a while. for a year actually.

 

winning another gold (which is very possible in my opinion) will make him the best wrestler ever at the Olympics with 4 gold medals. the great Karelin has 3 gold (and 1 silver)

 

Not me  I'm happy to read it, by far my favourite wrestler (easy if you barely know wrestlers, but still), the man is a freaking monster

[MHSN 3,214]

3 minutes ago, heywoodu said:

 

Not me  I'm happy to read it, by far my favourite wrestler (easy if you barely know wrestlers, but still), the man is a freaking monster

 

he is indeed a monster and always fun to watch

 

while i still like him a lot, it's still hard to cheer for someone like him. most wrestling experts believe he lost 3 matches intentionally in his career, 3 World Championship finals, personally I'm sure about 2 of them at least. of course the Olympic gold is not for sale. he is going to win that once again.

 

but his participation means Cuba won't be seeded here, so it's 50% possible to see him and Kayaalp in one side of the draw. which will be terrible for other wrestlers in that half.

[heywoodu 13,555]

2 minutes ago, MHSN said:

 

he is indeed a monster and always fun to watch

 

while i still like him a lot, it's still hard to cheer for someone like him. most wrestling experts believe he lost 3 matches intentionally in his career, 3 World Championship finals, personally I'm sure about 2 of them at least. of course the Olympic gold is not for sale. he is going to win that once again.

 

but his participation means Cuba won't be seeded here, so it's 50% possible to see him and Kayaalp in one side of the draw. which will be terrible for other wrestlers in that half.

 

I believe you once told about it, it might have had something to do with coming from a very poor background? Doesn't make it good, but at least a bit more understandable..

[MHSN 3,214]

38 minutes ago, heywoodu said:

 

I believe you once told about it, it might have had something to do with coming from a very poor background? Doesn't make it good, but at least a bit more understandable..

 

of course, and that's a common thing for Cuban wrestlers, not much recently but it happened a lot 10-15 years ago. when UWW president was in Iran in a TV show, they even asked him about this, he said "we know but unfortunately we can't do anything unless there are proofs" !

 

but Mijain Lopez is not an ordinary wrestler, he is the best of the best. you would expect more pride from such a great wrestler. and his defeats were not just "walkover" that would be more acceptable, apparently those who paid him wanted a show and he had to lose on the mat. I remember in one of his Kayaalp defeats he even dived for a single leg !!!  (which is illegal in Greco)

[intoronto 4,236]

20 hours ago, MHSN said:

Entries for Pan-American Qualifiers

https://unitedworldwrestling.org/article/pan-american-og-qualifier-entries

 

I know last minute change is always possible with these entries but I assume the number won't increase, which means we will have two-group format in so many weights. (by my count at least 6) too me that's more fair. two best wrestlers falling in the same half is not possible anymore. that's probably a bad news for some weaker wrestlers hoping for some luck to qualify.

 

I think USA and Cuba will grab most of men's freestyle (and even in some weights of Greco) quotas unless one of them is already qualified of maybe the blind draw puts them in one side of the bracket. there will be some kind of seeding but that won't change in much, it's still more like a "blind draw"

 

but to me the most interesting name is Oscar Pino ! per rules they should not let him to wrestle here. but who cares about the rules

 

 

rules don't say he will be allowed if he changes his style ! he won a quota for Cuba at 130kg Greco, now he is trying 125kg freestyle. even though I think with 2-group format his chance is very slim. Gwiazdowski and Dhesi will grab those two quotas IMO. I really feel sorry for this guy. he can be the Olympic champion (with Kayaalp getting weaker) but he is sticking behind the great Mijain Lopez and has to try freestyle which he is terrible at.

Who are your favourites based on entries?

[MHSN 3,214]

19 minutes ago, intoronto said:

Who are your favourites based on entries?

 

OK I will name 3 wrestlers for each weight in case top 2 fall in the same half of the draw. no need for the 3rd guy in weights using 2-group format.

I hope I don't miss anybody. sometimes there are NCAA wrestlers not familiar for me representing other Pan-American countries and they are usually good enough

 

57: ===

65: === really hard to pick a 3rd guy in this weight

74: in no order, I think these 3 guys are in the same level

86: === , I would put Moore in the same level as VEN guy but I don't know the new guy of Canada.

97:

125:

 

and Greco

 

60: ===

67: ===  really hard picks for me, this weight will be wide open, no clear favorite

77: in no order

87: ===

97:

130: ===