Olympic Wrestling 2012: Where US Men Stand in the London Gold Medal Hunt

With the possible exception of running, wrestling is the most ancient sport. Just about every culture in world history has developed some form of it. It's the only sport mentioned in the Bible. In Genesis 32, Chapter 12, Jacob wrestles an angel.

The Olympics represents the sport's ultimate stage. World championships are held yearly, and winning them is a huge deal. But for an ancient and noble sport like wrestling, capturing Olympic gold just somehow means a little bit more. 

In the history of Olympic wrestling, Russia and the other countries of the former Soviet bloc stand alone. People in that part of the world just somehow understand better than most how great this sport truly is.

Not long ago I was talking with a guy at my gym who had grown up in the former USSR, and when I mentioned Alexander Karelin (the greatest wrestler of modern times), he was as familiar with him as any American would be with Michael Jordan.

In the U.S., the sport has a more cult-like following. I say cult-like deliberately, because wrestlers and wrestling fans realize their devotion to the sport puts them slightly out-of-step with the rest of the population, and that the rest of the population is very much in the wrong.

And over the years, Americans have very much held their own on the international stage. Our wrestlers are at a slight disadvantage because most of them focus primarily on the "folk" or "school boy" version of the sport through their college years.

Wrestling like you would see it at the NCAA tournament or your local high school is slightly different than the freestyle and Greco-Roman versions featured in the Olympics. It is more mat-based, for one thing. In Greco and freestyle, most of the action takes place on the feet, and in Greco-Roman, wrestlers can only attack each other above the waist.

For this Olympic Games, the U.S. actually qualified more wrestlers than any other country. We are not favored to win the most medals, but we definitely have athletes who can hang with anybody in the world.  

Ellis Coleman, Greco-Roman, 132 Lbs

Still almost a month shy of 21, Ellis Coleman is the youngest wrestler on the U.S. squad and a long shot to medal. But since this is a video slideshow, there was no way I was going to leave him out. Seriously, click that video, even if it's the only one you bother to click all day. 

Even if you aren't a wrestling fan, you may already have seen Coleman hitting this "flying squirrel" at the Cadet games last year. It went viral.

Coleman is a great example of a kid who has used wrestling to overcome a lot of adversity. He grew up in Chicago's infamous Humboldt Park, one of the roughest neighborhoods in the country. This summer he will represent his country on the biggest stage in the world, while still not old enough to legally buy beer.

And as long as he's got a takedown like this in his back pocket, I'm not going to count him out completely.  

Justin Lester, Greco-Roman, 152 Lbs

Justin Lester is a definite sentimental favorite for U.S. wrestling fans. He was beat out for a spot on the 2008 team, but at 29, he has over a decade of international experience, winning numerous international tournaments and placing as high as third at the World Championships. 

Lester is one of several wrestlers who serve on active duty with the U.S. Army, on orders to the Army's World Class Athlete program. 

Lester is not necessarily a heavy favorite to win a medal, but I seriously doubt he will care about oddsmakers when he steps on the mat. With his skill and talent, he could very well end up winning a string of matches against more favored opponents.  

Spencer Mango, Greco-Roman, 121 Lbs

Spencer Mango is a prime example of why wrestling is such a great sport. He's a little guy, but on the mat he's a beast.

And frankly, even though he is a little guy, he could probably toss you through a wall, too, if he wanted to. I sure wouldn't want a piece of him.

Mango is another active duty soldier, representing the Army's World Class Athlete program. In 2008, he made it to the semifinal round.

Maybe it's because I'm an old soldier myself, but I just feel like this is going to be Mango's year. I expect a big tournament from him and a strong push for the podium. 

Tervel Dlagnev, Freestyle, 265 Lbs

Tervel Dlagnev was born in Bulgaria and moved to America when he was five years old. He is a two-time Division II National Champion.

He has been a successful competitor on the international scene since 2008, and in the past couple of years, he has been coming on strong. He has won back-to-back Pan Ams and took fifth in last year's World Championships, which definitely puts him at the level of competitor with a chance to medal in London.

When you have the physical power to explode into pinning moves against other international-class athletes like he does in the linked video, you are a serious factor in any match. 

Jake Varner, Freestyle, 212 Lbs

Jake Varner is one of the most dominant wrestlers to graduate from NCAA to international competition in the past few years. He was a four-time NCAA All-American for Iowa State and a two-time champion. 

In 2010, I saw him beat Cornell's Cam Simaz, himself a three-time All American and one-time National Champion, by technical fall 19-1. Now this was Simaz's sophomore year, and he later gave Varner a much closer match at nationals, but just the same: You don't see many D-I wrestlers putting up tech falls against each other, let alone against fellow All-Americans. 

It was like watching Shute from the movie Vision Quest. 

Varner is a protege of Cael Sanderson, arguably the greatest American wrestler ever (you can start a fist fight in Iowa debating Sanderson vs. Dan Gable). He has already made a big impact on the international scene, taking a bronze at the Worlds in 2011. He'll be a big factor in London and has a good chance of taking gold. 

Jake Herbert, Freestyle, 185 Lbs

Jake Herbert was a four-time All-American for Northwestern University and two-time national champion. In 2009, he won the Hodge trophy, the wrestling equivalent of the Heisman. 

Herbert made a big splash on the international scene his first season out of college, taking a silver medal at the 2009 Worlds. In 2011, he was a Pan American Games champion.

Excellent cardiovascular conditioning is standard for all wrestlers, but Herbert seems to have a particularly big gas tank, even by world class standards. In a grueling, unforgiving tournament like the Olympics, this can be a significant advantage. 

Dremiel Byers, Greco-Roman, 265 KG

Dremiel Byers is the most decorated American Greco-Roman wrestler ever. At 37, he has been winning medals in international competition since before the turn of the century. 

Byers originally attended North Carolina A&T on a football scholarship, but after two years he enlisted in the U.S. Army and joined the Army World Class Athlete Program. He currently holds the rank of Sergeant First Class.

Byers has won three World medals, including one gold, which ties him with Matt Ghaffari for most ever by an American wrestler. But so far an Olympic medal has eluded him. He placed seventh at Beijing in 2008. 

Age 37 is pretty long in the tooth for a world class wrestler, but it's not unprecedented. The great Chris Campbell came out of retirement to take a bronze in Barcelona in 2008, just a month shy of turning 38. 

Byers is desperate to add Olympic hardware to his already overflowing trophy case. This will be the old soldier's last stand on the Olympic stage, so high drama and a thrilling finish could very well be in the cards. 

Jordan Burroughs, Freestyle, 74 KG

Jordan Burroughs is probably the United State's best bet for wrestling gold in London. He was a two-time national champion for Nebraska and a 2011 Hodge Trophy winner. 

Burroughs went straight from the NCAA tournament into international competition, winning the World Championship in 2011. He is only the fourth wrestler ever to win the Hodge trophy and World Freestyle Championship in the same year. 

Burroughs has won every tournament he has entered since 2009. An outgoing and engaging personality, he has already stated his intention of moving into mixed martial arts after he concludes his wrestling career following the 2016 Olympics.