Olympic Trials Preview: Hafizov, Roberts, Tuma among top competitors at 60 kg

The most experienced star in the field is two-time Olympian Ildar Hafizov, who wrestled in the 2020 Tokyo Games for the USA and in the 2008 Beijing Games for Uzbekistan. Hafizov was most recently on the 2023 U.S. World Team. Hafizov has been a part of four Senior World Teams for the United States, with his highest finish coming in 2022 where he placed 10th. He enters the Trials as one of the most experienced athletes, as he has earned medals at two Pan-American Championships and a gold at the 2023 Pan-American Games. Two-time Senior World Team member Dalton Roberts is another competitor to watch at the Trials. Roberts earned gold at the 2023 Senior Pan-American Championships and was the runner-up behind Hafizov at 2023 Final X.

Past World Team members at other weights that qualified for the trials and will compete at 60 kg include Sammy Jones and Brady Koontz. Jones, a two-time Pan-American Championships medalist and two-time Senior World Team member at 63 kg (2021 and 2022), is currently on the Senior National Team. His highest finish at a World Championships came in 2021, where he placed 17th. Koontz is the current Senior World Team representative at 55 kg and makes the jump to 60 kg for the Olympic year. He placed 10th at the 2023 Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. He is also a three-time age group World Team member and a 2022 Senior Pan-American Championships gold medalist. Koontz has twice made the jump to 60 kg, at Senior Nationals in 2020 and 2023 where he placed seventh and eighth, respectively.

Senior National Team member Randon Miranda is among the tough field of competitors. Miranda, a three-time age-group World Team member, has earned medals at three Senior Pan-American Championships and qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials with a runner-up finish at the 2023 Bill Farrell Memorial International in New York last November.

Four athletes qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Senior Nationals in December. The top five finishers at the event qualified for the trials unless the athlete was already qualified. Hafizov was the champion at 60 kg. Runner-up Hayden Tuma, a Senior National Team member at 63 kg, is a 2024 Pan-American Championships gold medalist and a four-time age-group World Team member. Max Black, a two-time U20 World Team member, two-time U.S. Open runner-up and 2022 U20 Pan-American Championships bronze medalist, earned a spot at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials with a third place finish at Senior Nationals. The final qualifiers from Senior Nationals were Dylan Gregerson and Taylor LaMont. Gregerson is a 2021 U23 World Team member and a 2018 U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist in both Greco-Roman and freestyle. Rounding out the group of Senior Nationals qualifiers is LaMont, a seven-time age-group World Team member and 2016 U20 World bronze medalist.

Wrestlers from three different weight classes at the Armed Forces Championships will compete at 60 kg at the Trials. U.S. Army athletes William Sullivan and Dalton Duffield are among the field of competitors. Sullivan earned his spot at 55 kg and makes the move to 60 kg. He is a 2021 U20 World Team member and claimed a bronze medal at the 2019 U20 Pan-American Championships. Duffield, a Senior National Team member at 55 kg, qualified by winning the Armed Forces Championships at 60 kg. The Army WCAP athlete was second to Koontz in 2023 Final X, and brings in experience as a 2023 Pan-American Championships gold medalist and 2018 U23 World Team member, competing in both at 55 kg. Air Force athlete Sidney Flores won the 63 kg bracket at the Armed Forces Championships and will move down to 60 kg. Flores competed collegiately at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

At the Last Chance Olympic Team Trials Qualifier, Phillip Moomey emerged on top as the final qualifier. Moomey is a three-time age-group World Team member and earned bronze at the 2021 Junior Pan-American Games. He competed for Cornell at the NCAA level.

With no athlete sitting out at this weight, the winners of the Challenge Tournament semifinals advance to the best-of-three championship series. This weight is not yet qualified for the 2024 Paris Games, and the Trials winner must place top three at the World Olympic Games Qualifier in Istanbul, Turkey, in May to secure the Olympic quota spot.

While weight classes and final athlete registrations are not finalized until the completion of weigh-ins, this group of 13 wrestlers is the expected 60 kg field for the Olympic Trials.

Fans looking to attend the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in person can still purchase all session tickets and single session tickets through Ticketmaster.

For those unable to grab a ticket, fear not—all the action from Bryce Jordan Center will be broadcast by NBC properties, April 19-20. The Friday and Saturday evening sessions will be televised on USA Network. NBC’s streaming platform Peacock will host live streams of each mat throughout the competition.

Complete brackets and live results for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials will be hosted on Trackwrestling.com. Fans can also follow @usawrestling on the various social media platforms for regular updates throughout the event.

For more information about the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, please visit usawrestlingevents.com.

Friday, April 19

10 a.m. (ET) – Challenge tournament prelims, quarterfinals, consolations

6:30 p.m. (ET) – Challenge tournament semifinals, finals

Saturday, April 20

10 a.m. (ET) – Championship series round one (all weights), championship series round two (GR 60-67-77 kg, MFS 57-65 kg), challenge tournament consolations, true third (if necessary)

6:30 p.m. (ET) –Championship series round two, championship series round three (if necessary)

Challenge Tournament participants

2020 Olympic Team member – Ildar Hafizov (U.S. Army WCAP)

2021 World Team member – Dalton Roberts (U.S. Army WCAP)

2022 World Team member 63 kg – Sammy Jones (Sunkist Kids)

2023 World Team member 55 kg – Brady Koontz (Titan Mercury WC/Dubuque RTC)

2023 Bill Farrell runner-up – Randon Miranda (California RTC)

Dec. 2023 Senior Nationals runner-up – Hayden Tuma (New York AC)

Dec. 2023 Senior Nationals third place – Max Black (NMU-National Training Center)

Dec. 2023 Senior Nationals fourth place – Dylan Gregerson (New York AC)

Dec. 2023 Senior Nationals fifth place – Taylor LaMont (Sunkist Kids WC)

2024 Armed Forces Greco-Roman champion at 55 kg - William Sullivan (U.S. Army WCAP)

2024 Armed Forces Greco-Roman champion - Dalton Duffield (U.S. Army WCAP)

2024 Armed Forces Greco-Roman runner-up at 63 kg - Sidney Flores (U.S. Air Force)

2024 Final Olympic Trials Qualifier champion – Phillip Moomey (TMWC/Spartan Combat RTC)