#GrecoMonday: Alejandro Sancho dominated the field at the Bill Farrell, making his presence known for his 2020 Olympic Team run

Photo of Sancho during the 2019 Bill Farrell quarterfinals by Larry Slater

Alejandro Sancho missed making the National Team last year by one match, finishing third at the 2019 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament at 72 kg. It was the first year since 2014 that Sancho would not earn a spot on the National Team.

For the Bill Farrell International two weekends ago, Sancho cut back down to the Olympic weight class of 67 kg, a weight class where he has made three National Teams. Sancho looked fantastic, blitzing through the domestic and international competition in his path to the finals with technical falls, including a victory over 2006 World champion Joe Warren.

Round of 16

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

In the finals, Sancho defeated Hayanobu Shimizu of Japan, in a controlled match, 5-1. Shimizu was the 2018 All-Japan Invitational runner-up to 2019 World champion and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Shinobu Ota.

Finals

Overall, Sancho was pleased with how he performed.

“It feels good to go home with gold. It was a good tournament overall. I wanted to stick with my game plan of pushing the pace and getting to my positions and trying stuff,” he said.

Executing his game plan allowed Sancho to bring home his third Bill Farrell International title and his second in as many years. Another big thing Sancho accomplished by being the highest domestic medalist in the bracket was qualifying for the Olympic Team Trials in State College, Pa., this April.

“It’s very important. This is going to be my second time competing at the Olympic Team Trials. Last time I fell short. I took third. This year, I’m gunning to make the team and qualify the weight class for the Olympics,” he said.

Even though he’s already punched his ticket to the Trials, we can expect to see Sancho at the Senior Nationals U.S. Olympic Trial Qualifier in Fort Worth, Texas, this December. Even sooner, Sancho will be part of a contingent of Americans competing at the Haparanda Cup this Saturday in Sweden.

Sancho emphasized that training and competition overseas is a key component in achieving success at the highest levels.

“International exposure is very important, especially if there’s a two week training camp before a tournament. Whatever you can get in with foreigners, it’s going to benefit you in the long run, especially with Greco-Roman,” he said.

With the Olympic Team Trials just around the corner, Sancho is banking on the experience paying dividends in the short run too.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Bill Farrell International matches on USA Wrestling’s YouTube page.