US Olympic Wrestling Team 2012: Americans Who Should Win Gold in London

Though most of the early wrestling action was dominated by the Europeans and the Asians, the United States has a solid chance to win gold in some of the remaining classes.

Two wrestlers in particular have a great shot at winning Olympic gold.

Tervel Dlagnev (120 kg)

More so than any other American wrestler, Tervel Dlagnev came out of obscure origins to become one of the top wrestlers in the world.

While most wrestlers begin their sport early in life, Dlagnev began in high school. His late start hardly hurt him, though, as he dominated high school and college competition en route to two Division II NCAA championships.

Since then, Dlagnev has won gold at three straight Pan American Games.

Dlagnev is hardly the consensus gold medal-favorite, as Sports Illustrated names Russian Biylal Mahkov as the favorite. Still, he is on the short list of candidates for the heavyweight gold medal. 

Helping Dlagnev is his experience in the Pan American Games. He has faced some of the world's best wrestlers, so he can be confident heading into his matches.

Ultimately, a match between Mahkov and Dlagnev would be among the highlights of the Games, and Dlagnev has the ability to pull off a tough victory to win gold.

Jordan Burroughs (74 kg)

Jordan Burroughs has not lost a match since 2008, when he lost a collegiate match in his sophomore year.

Since then, Burroughs has been dominant. After returning from injury in 2011, he was the fourth man to win both an NCAA championship and a world championship in the same season.

Almost all of the experts on wrestling have selected Burroughs as their favorite to win gold. TheMat.com polled 12 wrestling experts to select a winner in each weight class. The unanimous favorite was Burroughs. Even more mainstream publications, like Sports Illustrated, have determined Burroughs to be the favorite.

There is no such thing in wrestling as a sure thing, but Burroughs is as close to it as one can find.

The young man simply doesn't know how to lose. His dedication and focus are truly rare. Combined with his significant physical talents, this should be enough for Burroughs to win gold in London.