Timothy Taylor in competition. Taylor was among four wildcard selection for the Olympic Trials. Larry Slater photo

USA Wrestling has announced that the following athletes have been granted a wildcard to compete in Greco-Roman at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Iowa, April 21-22. 

Greco-Roman
55 kg/121 lbs. – Dmitry Ryabchinskiy, Brooklyn, N.Y. (New York AC)
60 kg/132 lbs. – Jimmy Chase, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Tim Taylor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Steve Andrus, Manhattan, Kan. (Michigan WC)

The most experienced of the Greco-Roman choices was Taylor, who was second at the 2011 U.S. World Team Trials. He was injured at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, and is now returning to competition. Taylor was a runner-up at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

Ryabchinskiy was sixth in the 2011 U.S. Open and seventh in 2012. He won the 2010 New York AC International title and was second in the 2010 University Nationals. He competes for the USOEC program at Northern Michigan.

Andrus was third in the 2011 U.S. Open, and competed on the 2010 U.S. Junior World Team. He was second at the 2010 University Nationals. He competes for Michigan State Univ.

Chase was a 2011 University Nationals champion. He competed on three straight U.S. Junior World Teams (2008-2010). Chase placed fourth in 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials at 55 kg. He has placed in the U.S. Open three times. Chase attended Binghamton Univ. before becoming a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete.

Men’s freestyle wrestling had been awarded 10 wildcards for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, and announced the first eight of them on March 25. Two will be announced later this weekend. Greco-Roman had been awarded four wildcards, all which were announced today. There are no wildcards available in women’s freestyle wrestling.