17 Final X berths up for grabs at Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 20-21
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
![2023 Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament Logo](https://res.cloudinary.com/usopc-prod/image/upload/v1689767823/NGB%20Wrestling/Migration/2023WTT-Challenge-800x500.jpg)
The final 17 berths in Final X are up for grabs at the 2023 Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, set for Discovery Canyon High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 20-21.
The winner in each of the 17 weight classes being conducted will earn a spot in their weight class at Final X in Newark, N.J., June 10. Each of these athletes will compete in Final X in a best-of-three series against the 2023 U.S. Open champion, with the winner at Final X earning a berth on the 2023 U.S. Senior World Team which will compete in Belgrade, Serbia, September 16-24.
This World Team Trials Challenge Tournament ncompetition will feature numerous wrestlers who have competed on U.S. Senior World Teams or U.S. age-group World Teams, as well as past national champions from the Senior level, age-group levels and from college wrestling.
There will be 10 weight classes contested in Greco-Roman, which will be held on Saturday, May 20 at Discovery Canyon High School. Those weight classes are 55 kg, 60 kg, 63 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg, 77 kg, 82 kg, 87 kg, 97 kg and 130 kg.
There will be four women’s freestyle weight classes and three men’s freestyle weight classes, which will be contested on Sunday, May 21 at Discovery Canyon High School. The women’s freestyle weight classes will be 55 kg, 59 kg, 68 kg and 76 kg. The men’s freestyle weight classes will be 61 kg, 92 kg and 125 kg.
Athletes must prequalify to compete at the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, based upon competition performance at previous USA Wrestling event, based upon the World Team Selection Procedures,
Currently, there are 145 athletes who have qualified to compete at the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament at one of these 17 weight classes. This includes 83 in Greco-Roman, 38 in women’s freestyle and 24 in men’s freestyle. However, athletes who have competed in other weight classes and still meet the criteria can register and compete in the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament.
World Team Trials Challenge Tournament Qualifiers (as of April 30)
IMPORTANT FOR ATHLETES/COACHES: All athletes are asked to register for the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament by today (Wednesday, May 3 at 11:00 p.m. MT). This is the end of early registration, which cost just $75, a $50 discount. Any one who registers after this day must pay the regular entry fee of $125. Another key date to remember is Sunday, May 14 at 11:00 p.m. MT, the deadline for registration in order to receive a seed.
The other 13 weight classes in international wrestling have already determined their Final X competitors, which will feature a 2022 Senior World medalist competing against the 2023 U.S. Open champion.
The World Team Trials Challenge Tournament field in Colorado Springs is expected to be strong and will feature numerous athletes who are considered serious Olympic hopefuls.
Among those qualified who are expected to compete in Greco-Roman are 2018 World silver medalist Adam Coon (130 kg), two-time Olympians Ildar Hafizov (60 kg) and Ben Provisor (82 kg) and Olympians Jesse Thielke (67 kg), Alejandro Sancho (67 kg), Aliaksandr Kikiniou (77 kg) and John Stefanowicz (87 kg).
In women’s freestyle, Olympian and six-time World champion Adeline Gray is among the qualifiers expected to compete, along with World champion Jacarra Winchester (55 kg) and Senior World Team members Maya Nelson (59 kg), Abigail Nette (59 kg) and Dymond Guilford (76 kg).
In men’s freestyle, among the qualifiers expected to wrestle are Senior World medalists Daton Fix (61 kg), Joe Colon (61 kg) and Nick Gwiazdowski (125 kg), along with Senior World Team member Seth Gross (61 kg).
There will be a large number of Colorado Springs residents who will be competing at the event, coming from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center, the Army WCAP program at Fort Carson and the Air Force RTC at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
The event will be broadcast live by FloWrestling
2023 SENIOR WORLD TEAM TRIALS CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT
At Discovery Canyon High School, Colorado Springs, Colo., May 20-21, 2023
Event Schedule
Saturday May 20
Greco-Roman: All weight classes
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. - Session I: Preliminaries, Quarterfinals and Consolation (depending on final entries)
4:00 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. - Session II : Semifinals, Consolations and Consolation Semifinals
7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. - Session III: Championship Finals and 3rd place matches
Sunday May 21
Women’s Freestyle: 55 kg, 59 kg, 68 kg, 76 kg
Men’s Freestyle: 61 kg, 92 kg, 125 kg.
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. - Session I: Preliminaries, Quarterfinals and Consolation (depending on final entries)
4:00 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. - Session II : Semifinals, Consolations and Consolation Semifinals
7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. - Session III: Championship Finals and 3rd place matches