London 2012: Profiling Top American Wrestlers Competing in Olympic Games

One of my favorite events to watch in the Summer Olympics is wrestling, and as such, I want to profile the top Americans who'll be competing in London in 2012.

These men are spectacular athletes. They are strong, agile, quick and ferocious, and they train their entire young lives for a chance to compete at the highest level. 

They can move as fast as a cat and can toss each other around like rag dolls given the proper leverage and angles. These fantastic athletes are prepared for any eventuality on the mat, and the way they operate under such stressful situations is breathtaking to watch.

Here are America's top wrestlers heading to London in 2012.

Ellis Coleman, aka "The Flying Squirrel" (60 kg)

Coleman earned his nickname due to a crazy flip move he does in matches against his opponents. He defeated Joe Betterman 2-0 in the 2012 USA Olympic Trials to earn his spot on the team.

Coleman wants everyone to know he has more in his bag of tricks than his flip, though. 

Via ESPN:

"

People are like, `Oh, you're the Flying Squirrel. You're just a kid who just hits a flip and is a YouTube sensation...But there's more to it than just that move. There's a little bit more grit, a little bit more technique, a little bit more agility and just more versatile human being back there. I like to have that back it up.

"

He'll have ample opportunity to prove it in August.

Jake Varner (96 kg)

Varner was a two-time California state wrestling champion for Bakersfield High School before going to Iowa State University to become a four-time NCAA Division I finalist.

In other words, he's kind of good.

He qualified for the Olympics by completing a clean sweep of a best-of-three series against Tommy Rowlands in the finals of the 96-kilogram (211-pound) freestyle bracket.

Per Bakersfield.com, Varner spoke about his goals for London after his qualifying match was over:

"

I won't rest till I get that gold medal. Everybody gets excited when they become an Olympian, but that's not the ultimate goal. Every Olympian should want to be an Olympic champion. I'll get excited now and then get back in that training room.

"

I can't wait to see him compete against the best wrestlers in the world.

Jordan Burroughs (74 kg)

Burroughs represents the best chance for an American gold medal in London. He is the current world freestyle champion, and he's ready to be the face of American wrestling this summer.

Per USA Today, Burroughs spoke to this issue:

"

I want to be the face of USA Wrestling. I want to be the guy everybody knows when you describe USA Wrestling, when you describe America and Olympic gold medalists. I want to be a John Smith or Cael Sanderson or Bruce Baumgartner.

"

 USA wrestling freestyle coach Zeke Jones is high on his young pupil, saying:

"

He's got world-class blazing speed. He has great set-up routines. He's got unbelievable confidence. He can attack from multiple directions, he can cover multiple distances, he can do things most guys can't. 

Don't discount the other guys in the weight class, but he's special. I've wrestled with Bruce Baumgartner, John Smith, Dave Schultz, Kenny Monday, Kevin Jackson, Tom Brands, Terry Brands — they've all been my teammates — and Burroughs has what they had.

"

It is going to be exciting to see how well he performs this summer against the top wrestlers in his weight class, and I for one can't wait for the action to begin.

Follow @JesseReed78