Wisconsin's Jesse Thielke and Connor Medbery to take Olympic redshirts next year
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by Kelli Grashel, University of Wisconsin
Badger duo to redshirt to prepare for Olympic Trials
Medbery and Thielke to take Olympic redshirts for 2015-16 season
MADISON, Wis. – With their eyes on the prize at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, NCAA qualifiers Connor Medbery and Jesse Thielke have opted to take an Olympic redshirt for the 2015-16 season, head coach Barry Davis announced Thursday.
Senior Medbery and junior Thielke, are both coming off NCAA qualifying seasons, but are excited by the challenge to try and represent the United States in Brazil.
“They both qualified to Olympic redshirt and it’s definitely going to affect the team, but as a coach you have to do what’s best for your athletes,” Davis said. “I think it’s best for both of those guys to take the year off to train and focus on things academically. Jesse is getting ready for the Olympic Trials in Greco.
“As a coach, it’s about the athletes and not about the coach. You have to support those guys and do what is best for your athletes.”
In similar fashion, Davis, who won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, took an Olympic redshirt while he was at Iowa in order to prepare for his first Olympic Games.
“It gave me a chance to travel internationally and get used to the international style and freestyle,” Davis said. “It made me a lot better. I was able to wrestle a higher-caliber type competition the whole time as well as only freestyle. Jesse will get that opportunity and you just have to take advantage of it, that’s the key.”
The U.S Olympic Wrestling Trials will be held in Iowa City, Iowa, for the second-straight time in 2016. The event is scheduled for April 8-10, four months prior to the Olympic Games. The 2012 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials were also held at the University of Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The 2016 Summer Olympics will be held Aug. 5-21 in Rio. All wrestling events will be hosted in Carioca Arena 2 at the Games.
Medbery and Thielke to take Olympic redshirts for 2015-16 season
MADISON, Wis. – With their eyes on the prize at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, NCAA qualifiers Connor Medbery and Jesse Thielke have opted to take an Olympic redshirt for the 2015-16 season, head coach Barry Davis announced Thursday.
Senior Medbery and junior Thielke, are both coming off NCAA qualifying seasons, but are excited by the challenge to try and represent the United States in Brazil.
“They both qualified to Olympic redshirt and it’s definitely going to affect the team, but as a coach you have to do what’s best for your athletes,” Davis said. “I think it’s best for both of those guys to take the year off to train and focus on things academically. Jesse is getting ready for the Olympic Trials in Greco.
“As a coach, it’s about the athletes and not about the coach. You have to support those guys and do what is best for your athletes.”
In similar fashion, Davis, who won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, took an Olympic redshirt while he was at Iowa in order to prepare for his first Olympic Games.
“It gave me a chance to travel internationally and get used to the international style and freestyle,” Davis said. “It made me a lot better. I was able to wrestle a higher-caliber type competition the whole time as well as only freestyle. Jesse will get that opportunity and you just have to take advantage of it, that’s the key.”
The U.S Olympic Wrestling Trials will be held in Iowa City, Iowa, for the second-straight time in 2016. The event is scheduled for April 8-10, four months prior to the Olympic Games. The 2012 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials were also held at the University of Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The 2016 Summer Olympics will be held Aug. 5-21 in Rio. All wrestling events will be hosted in Carioca Arena 2 at the Games.
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