Penn State alum Zain Retherford learns path to Olympics with Qualifier bracket now out
The path is officially set for how Penn State alum Zain Retherford can qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. The multi-time NCAA champ as a Nittany Lion already owns the 65-kilogram spot on the U.S. Men’s Senior National team. Unlike four other winners of spots at the Team Trials a few weekends back at the Bryce Jordan Center, however, Retherford’s ticket was not automatically punched for the summer games. That’s because the U.S. has not yet qualified that weight class for the tournament.
Retherford has one last chance to do so, for himself and his country, this weekend. He is the 65-kilogram American representative at the World Olympic Games qualifier in Istanbul, Turkey. The last chance qualifier event features grapplers from across the world who are similarly trying to make it to the sport’s biggest stage. The top three finishers in each weight class will advance to Paris. The Penn State alum is the No. 26 seed. He will start his tournament on Saturday opposite No. 25 seed Stefan Coman of Romania. The winner earns a first-round match with No. 27 Ibrahim Guzman of Yeman.
All told, Retherford needs to win a minimum of five championship matches to qualify for the Olympics. Depending on when or if he loses in the championship bracket, a consolation bracket path, known as repechage on the freestyle scene, may also be available to him as a way to finish in the top three.
The World Olympic Games qualifier tournament will stream live on Flo Wrestling. Preliminary rounds for the men’s freestyle tournament are 3-9 a.m. ET Saturday. The Paris qualification rounds are 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Sunday will feature repechage matches to determine third place bouts for the final qualifying spot in each weight class from 8 a.m. – Noon.
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What are Penn State alum Zain Retherford’s chances of qualifying for the Olympics?
While being the No. 26 seed and having a pigtail match might seem like a death blow for finishing in the top three, it’s anything but. Is it an unkind draw? Of course it is, and it’s largely because most of his International success has come at the non-Olympic weight of 70 kilograms. But, Retherford, who competed out of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club at Penn State, is one of the favorites to win the bracket. That’s still true, regardless of where he starts his tournament. He will face some stuff competition, however.
Mongolia’s Tulga Tumur Ochir competed in the 2020 Toyko Olympics. Maxim Sacultan of Moldova and Islam Dudaev of Albania headline an accomplished European contingent at the Qualifier in Retherford’s weight class. Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev has International success on his resume. And, last but not least on the not entirely inclusive list of top-three contenders are Umidjon Jalolov of Uzbekistan, a past U20 and U17 World champion, and Mongolia’s Tulga Tumur-Ochir.
“Although a strong favorite to emerge with an Olympic quota, Retherford doesn’t have any recent results against the other top contenders at 65 kg,” Richard Immel writes for USA Wrestling. “It’ll be interesting to see how Retherford adjusts to a new crop of international opponents.”
