Watch the comeback attempts during 2008 Olympic Trials quest

By Gary Abbott
USA Wrestling/Themat.com
gabbott@usawrestling.org

The Olympic year is upon us, as the top wrestlers in the United States are in serious training for a lifelong dream of qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Team in wrestling. Every competition has added meaning, as our nation’s best international wrestlers prepare to compete at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling in Las Vegas, Nev., June 13-15, 2008.

There is something very exciting and interesting about the Olympic season. Every single time, there are a number of very well-known and prominent wrestlers who make a serious comeback after having been retired, looking to reclaim the magic and take one more run at making it to the Olympic Games.

Often, these comebacks begin during the year prior to the Olympics. That allows an athlete two seasons on the international scene to get themselves prepared for the Olympic Trials. In some cases, these “comeback kids” do not identify themselves until the actual Olympic year, showing up for the first time at either the U.S. Nationals or one of the Regional Olympic Trials.

In most cases, comebacks fall a bit short. There are many reasons for that, including the fact that during the time of their retirement, other wrestlers continued to grow and improve. Another reason might be the age of the comeback athletes, who may have gone past their prime and are unable to beat the younger talents.

However, this is not always the case. Three very prominent wrestlers who made comebacks and were able to make the U.S. Olympic Team include Dennis Koslowski, Kenny Monday and Terry Brands. Koslowski and Brands also later won medals at the Olympic Games.

Koslowski won a bronze medal in Greco-Roman at the 1988 Olympic Games, then retired. He took the job as USA Wrestling’s National Greco-Roman Coach, and spent a few seasons coaching the nation’s top Greco-Roman athletes. In 1991, Koslowski quit the coaching position and returned to the mat. He made the 1991 World Team, then came back and won the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 220 pounds. His comeback was capped off when he won a silver medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, the first U.S. wrestler to win two career Olympic medals in Greco-Roman.

Monday retired after winning two freestyle Olympic medals, a gold medal in 1988 and a silver medal in 1992 at 163 pounds. After Monday retired, 1984 Olympic champion Dave Schultz, who Monday beat in the 1988 Olympic Trials, took over the No. 1 spot and went to the next three World Championships. Monday announced his comeback late in the 1995 year, and wrestling fans were excited for another Monday-Schultz showdown at the Olympic Trials. Sadly, Dave Schultz was murdered and it did not happen. Monday came back to beat Pat Smith in the Olympic Trials and wrestled in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, placing sixth.

Brands, a two-time World champion, fell short of his Olympic dreams in 1996 when he was beaten by eventual Olympic champion Kendall Cross in the Olympic Trials. Brands wrestled during the next quadrennium, but seemed to be in retirement by the end of the 1999 season. He made his comeback at the 2000 Olympic Team Trials in Dallas, where he beat Kerry Bowmans in the finals series. At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Brands won a bronze medal.

The comeback stories started up in the 2006-07 season, with the return of freestyle wrestlers Kendall Cross at 60 kg/132 lbs., Cary Kolat at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Casey Cunningham at 74 kg/163 lbs.

Cross won an Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga., his second Olympic appearance. He finished his career at the 1997 World Cup, winning a gold medal at his alma mater at Oklahoma State.

Cross made a comeback early in November 2006, competing in an all-star dual meet in Russia and beating Russian star Adam Batirov at 60 kg. At the 2007 Dave Schultz Memorial, he placed third, losing to Angel Cejudo, then beating Cejudo in the bronze-medal match. Cross did not enter the U.S. Nationals, because he was not yet down to the 60 kg weight. At the World Team Trials, he entered up at 66 kg and did not place, losing to Phillip Simpson and Brent Metcalf. It is not known if Cross will wrestle again.

Kolat was a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team, and is seeking to make his second team eight years afterwards. He won a World silver medal in 1997 and a World bronze medal in 1998 and was fourth in 1999. In the Olympics, he had a victory overturned and lost a re-wrestled match, falling short of the medal rounds.

In his comeback in 2007, Kolat placed fourth in the 2007 U.S. Nationals, losing only to Zach Esposito who placed third. Kolat did not enter the 2007 World Team Trials, so he does not have a ranking on the national team.

Cunningham competed during the 2001-04 Olympic quadrennium. He finished second at the 2002 U.S. Nationals and the 2002 World Team Trials, his highest placing in a weight class. He was fifth at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. After, Cunningham stopped competing to concentrate on his coaching career at his alma mater Central Michigan.

In his comeback in 2007, Cunningham’s first event was a victory at the 2007 Northeast Senior Regionals. He was second in 2007 U.S. Nationals, losing only to Joe Heskett in the finals. At the World Team Trials, Cunningham again made the finals, losing in a hotly contested, three-match series to Heskett.

Cunningham entered the Olympic year with a No. 2 ranking. However, the athlete who beat him last year, Heskett, was forced into retirement because of a serious heart condition, making Cunningham a pre-season favorite to capture this weight class.

This fall, a top star in Greco-Roman, Jim Gruenwald, announced his comeback. Gruenwald competed at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games for the United States and also wrestled on three U.S. World Teams. He placed the top 10 in every World event he entered, with his best being fourth place at the 2003 World Championship. Gruenwald went into coaching, accepting the assistant coaching position at the USOEC program at Northern Michigan Univ., working with the young Greco-Roman prospects there.

Gruenwald mentioned a number of reasons for his comeback. Certainly, the loss of 2006 World champion Joe Warren from competition was a factor. However, Gruenwald indicated that he would have returned even if Warren is in the field. He felt the competitive fire still, and wants to win the medal that eluded him during his career. He believes that his return will help the USA, no matter how it comes out. If he succeeds, he will have a chance to perhaps help the U.S. program in qualifying the weight class. If he does not, he will push the wrestler who does make the U.S. team to be a better athlete.

So far this year, three of these wrestlers have been on the mat. Kolat had a strong start for the season, winning the gold medal at the Sunkist Kids International Open in October. Gruenwald also competed at the Sunkist Kids International, losing in the gold-medal finals to 2007 World Team member Joe Betterman, one of the athletes he helps coach at Northern Michigan. Cunningham won a bronze medal at the Hargobind International in Canada in November, losing to Travis Paulson in the semifinals. Cunningham also wrestled for Team USA at the CSKA Team Cup in Russia, losing a close match to 2006 World champion Ibraghim Aldatov of Ukraine.

By the time the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials are held in Las Vegas, Kolat will be 35 years old, Cunningham will be 32 and Gruenwald will be 38. If Cross does come back again this year, he will be 40.

The oldest wrestler to win an Olympic medal for the United States was Chris Campbell, who captured an Olympic bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Games at the age of 37. Campbell, a 1981 World champion, was a comeback kid as well. He was denied his chance for Olympic gold as a member of the 1980 Olympic Team that was unable to compete in the Moscow Olympics because of the U.S. government boycott of the Games.

He stopped competing after the 1984 Olympic Trials, saddled with injuries. Campbell made a return in 1989, won the No. 1 spot in the USA in 1990 and was able to achieve his dream of an Olympic medal.

In addition to the three athletes making a comeback from retirement, it is clearly possible that more former stars will step back on the mat during the upcoming Olympic Trials qualifying events. Athletes making comebacks always add interest and intrigue to the Olympic Trials process. This year will be no exception.

Gary Abbott is the Director of Communications and Special Projects for USA Wrestling and is a founder of the National Wrestling Media Association and is a 2005 recipient of the NWCA Meritorious Service Award.

Gary Abbott