Women's freestyle qualification process for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials

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Amy Ufnowski (USAW)
03/24/2004


For the first time this year at the Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, women's freestyle wrestling will be contested. Only four of the seven FILA weight classes will competed.     The four Olympic weights are 48 kg/105.5 lbs., 55 kg/121 lbs., 63 kg/138.75 lbs., and 72 kg/158.5 lbs.     These four will also be the only divisions contested at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wrestling in Indianapolis, Ind., May 21-23.     There are two ways women may still qualify for the Olympic Team Trials: Regional Olympic Team Trials Qualifiers held in three different cities and the U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas, Nev., April 8-10.     The four Olympic weight classes will be contested at the three Regional Olympic Team Trials Qualifiers; in the West, East, and South. The West Regional is in Battle Ground, Wash., March 26-28, the East Regional is in Brockport, N.Y., April 16-18, and the South Regional is in Kenner, La., April 22-24. Champions in each weight class qualify for the challenge tournament at the Olympic Team Trials.     Another way for women to qualify for the Olympic Trials is by placing at the U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas, Nev., May 9-10.    The top eight at the U.S. Nationals in each of the four Olympic weights qualifies for the Olympic Trials in Indianapolis.    The three other non-Olympic weights (51 kg/112 lbs., 59 kg/130 lbs., and 67 kg/147.5 lbs.) will also be contested at the U.S. Nationals. The top four in the non-Olympic weights also qualify for the Olympic Trials. The non-Olympic division will not be contested in Indianapolis, so these athletes will have to choose an Olympic weight class to compete at.     The U.S. Nationals champion at an Olympic weight class receives an automatic berth to the championship finals round of the Olympic Trials for the best two out of three championship series.     However, a champion at a non-Olympic weight class does not receive a berth in the championship finals series at the Olympic Trials, but still qualifies for the Challenge Tournament at an Olympic weight.     The champions from the Body Bar Women's Nationals, held in St. Joseph, Minn., March 12-13, have already qualified for the Challenge Tournament at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.    All four women's weights have already been qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games through international Olympic Qualifiers.    _______________________________________________________________________________  The U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wrestling are May 21-23 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Tickets and hotel accommodations are available. Visit www.trials2004.com for more information.