Olympic Trials Preview: Trio of past Olympians highlight 67 kg bracket

The 67 kg weight class has the most past Olympians in the entire U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Alejandro Sancho, current Senior World Team member and 2020 Olympian, 2016 Olympian Jesse Thielke and 2012 Olympian Ellis Coleman are all slated to compete at 67 kg. The trio are all members of the U.S. Army WCAP program. Sancho, a three-time Pan American Championships medalist and four-time age-group/Senior World Team member, looks to make the trip back to the Olympics for the second-straight cycle. Sancho has been on three of the last four U.S. Senior teams, with 2021 World Team member Peyton Omania earning the other team berth. Omania won a 2019 U20 World bronze medal and has three other age-group World Teams on his resume and competes collegiately for Michigan State.

They will be challenged by Thielke, a 2012 Junior World bronze medalist and two-time Senior World Team member. One of the most experienced athletes expected to compete at 67 kg is Coleman, a two-time age-group World medalist with experience competing on three Senior World Teams.

Xavier Johnson has elected to compete at 67 kg at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Johnson is the 63 kg Senior World Team representative and will make the move for this event. He brings in experience as a 2021 Senior Pan American Championships gold medalist and has placed at several international tournaments since 2018. At the 2023 Senior World Championships, Johnson placed 10th.

Senior National Team member Justus Scott will be another athlete to watch at the Olympic Trials. Scott is a two-time age-group World Team member, 2021 Senior Pan American Champion, 2023 U.S. Open champion and earned a spot in the challenge tournament with a runner-up finish at the 2023 Bill Farrell Memorial International last November. Robert Perez III is a Senior National Team member and a three-time age-group World Team member. Perez was a Final X runner-up in 2023 and placed third at the December 2023 Senior Nationals.

There was one other qualifier from the December 2023 Senior Nationals in David Stepanian, who placed fourth in that tournament. Stepanian is a 2021 U23 World Team member and a 2023 U23 National Champion. In 2022, Stepanian placed third at the Bill Farrell Memorial International.

Two athletes qualified for the Olympic Trials through the Armed Forces Championships, 67 kg champion Peter Ogunsanya of the Army and 72 kg runner-up Jamel Johnson of the Marines. Ogunsanya brings in experience as a 2022 Bill Farrell Memorial International bronze medalist and a 2022 U23 National Champion at 72 kg. Johnson, a 2021 Senior Pan American Championships gold medalist, is also a past Senior National Team member.

At the Last Chance Olympic Team Trials Qualifier, Duncan Nelson earned the final spot, besting U17 World Champion Joel Adams in the finals. Nelson has competed at two international events, claiming bronze at the 2018 Bill Farrell Memorial International.

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.

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 – Alejandro Sancho (U.S. Army WCAP)

2021 World Team member – Peyton Omania (New York AC/Michigan WC)

2019 World Team member – Ellis Coleman (U.S. Army WCAP)

2023 World Team member 63 kg– Xavier Johnson (U.S. Army WCAP)

2018 World Team member 63 kg – Jesse Thielke (U.S. Army WCAP)

2023 Bill Farrell runner-up –Justus Scott (U.S. Army WCAP)

Dec. 2023 Senior Nationals third place – Robert Perez III (Sunkist Kids WC)

Dec. 2023 Senior Nationals fourth place – David Stepanian (New York AC)

2024 Armed Forces Greco-Roman champion - Peter Ogunsanya (U.S. Army WCAP)

2024 Armed Forces Greco-Roman runner-up at 72 kg - Capt. Jamel Johnson (USMC)

2024 Final Olympic Trials Qualifier champion – Duncan Nelson (Illinois)