MFS 57kg 2024 Olympics

[oldschool]

Great writeup by @Jon_Kozak https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/12590878-57-kg-2024-olympic-wrestling-preview-spencer-lee-headlines-deep-field

What's everyone's predictions here?

I'm just hoping we get to see how Spencer fares against the best of the field.

[Truzzcat]

I have been on record that Harutyunyan is my pick however, after seeing the ranking series entries and seeing that he went 61 I wonder about the weight cut which is the case for everyone at the weight aside from spencer in terms of the top guys. I am hopeful that gives him the slight edge I feel he needs.

[mspart]

I think S Lee is the bad draw and I think he feels so also.   I hope he wrestles that way. 

mspart

[CHROMEBIRD]

On 5/30/2024 at 5:18 AM, Truzzcat said:

I have been on record that Harutyunyan is my pick however, after seeing the ranking series entries and seeing that he went 61 I wonder about the weight cut which is the case for everyone at the weight aside from spencer in terms of the top guys. I am hopeful that gives him the slight edge I feel he needs.

I'm not sure if the cut is a problem. He's an actual tweener, isn't he?

[oldschool]

Will Micic be as much of a factor in a non-serbia-controlled weigh-in? 

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

1 hour ago, oldschool said:

Will Micic be as much of a factor in a non-serbia-controlled weigh-in? 

Did you just call Shenanigans? I think I heard somebody call Shenanigans.

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

This weight is by far the toughest in the world. And I was trying to figure out how the Olympics could be a little bit better short of removing the two Continental Qualifiers from Africa and Oceania, and the only thing that I came up with was having Thomas Gilman and Zane Richards gain dual citizenship with Australia and the Solomon Islands. 

There are 10 wrestlers who wouldn't shock me if they won. My favorite is Spencer, but the winner is going to have to go through an absolutely amazing gauntlet.

One consideration that I think will play a huge part is this: There are only 16 wrestlers in the bracket, which means straight off, you are almost assured of getting a tough out in the first round, and there will be no byes (right?), which additionally means that the wrestlers have to make the cut, wrestle right off the bat, get little time to recover, and then wrestle again. 

This will be tough for the really big guys, the ones who'd benefit from a 61 kg weight.  

 

[CHROMEBIRD]

34 minutes ago, ILLINIWrestlingBlog said:

This weight is by far the toughest in the world. And I was trying to figure out how the Olympics could be a little bit better short of removing the two Continental Qualifiers from Africa and Oceania, and the only thing that I came up with was having Thomas Gilman and Zane Richards gain dual citizenship with Australia and the Solomon Islands. 

I kind of wouldn't mind seeing Olympic wrestling was held as a dual-style team event, like the World Cup, with Worlds happening every year for individual titles*. That way, countries could have rosters with multiple wrestlers competing at a weight or at multiple weights, and it might restore ten weight classes to the Olympics since it would be faster(?) with fewer medals overall. Dunno if it would help expand the sport globally, though. 

 

* or maybe flip it so that worlds are team events every year and the Olympics are individual tournaments, idk

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

1 hour ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

I kind of wouldn't mind seeing Olympic wrestling was held as a dual-style team event, like the World Cup, with Worlds happening every year for individual titles*. That way, countries could have rosters with multiple wrestlers competing at a weight or at multiple weights, and it might restore ten weight classes to the Olympics since it would be faster(?) with fewer medals overall. Dunno if it would help expand the sport globally, though. 

 

* or maybe flip it so that worlds are team events every year and the Olympics are individual tournaments, idk

I think that is a fantastic idea. That would be so cool. 

[Truzzcat]

On 5/31/2024 at 5:05 PM, oldschool said:

Will Micic be as much of a factor in a non-serbia-controlled weigh-in? 

I watched one of his youtube videos when he wrestled in bulgaria and he was shedding a few lbs to make weight at what I assume was +2kg for 61kg so that boy is big.

[Doublehalf]

On 5/31/2024 at 7:25 PM, CHROMEBIRD said:

I kind of wouldn't mind seeing Olympic wrestling was held as a dual-style team event, like the World Cup, with Worlds happening every year for individual titles*. That way, countries could have rosters with multiple wrestlers competing at a weight or at multiple weights, and it might restore ten weight classes to the Olympics since it would be faster(?) with fewer medals overall. Dunno if it would help expand the sport globally, though. 

 

* or maybe flip it so that worlds are team events every year and the Olympics are individual tournaments, idk

This is probably one of the coolest ideas I've heard in a longggg time. This would be absolutely amazing and be so fun to watch and cheer for... 

[Truzzcat]

4 hours ago, Doublehalf said:

This is probably one of the coolest ideas I've heard in a longggg time. This would be absolutely amazing and be so fun to watch and cheer for... 

my only qualm would be how much more infuriating the transfer system would be than it already is.

[CHROMEBIRD]

1 hour ago, Truzzcat said:

my only qualm would be how much more infuriating the transfer system would be than it already is.

Right. A federation could get stacked with transfer talent, but if Worlds was held every year for individual titles (with 1 rep per country) that would limit the # of switches. The current rules also only allow athletes to switch nationalities once at the Senior level, and I believe they cannot change allegiances if they've competed for their home country within the last 3 years.