#FreestyleFriday: Jordan Oliver sets sights on Olympic gold

In one of the most wide-open weight classes for the 2020 season, Jordan Oliver seeks to be the USA’s 65 kg men’s freestyle representative at the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

Fresh off a Senior Nationals title in December, Oliver has positioned himself as one of the frontrunners for the Olympic Team spot. But it hasn’t been an easy path to get there.

This quad has been filled with ups and downs for the 29-year-old, with some of those downs including injury as well as a suspension.

Oliver was off to a hot start in 2017, winning the U.S. Open in Las Vegas, but shortly after, his title was stripped from him and Oliver accepted a sanction from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency after testing positive for a banned substance that was later found in a medication he was using to treat a medical issue.

The sanction was a one-year suspension, which went into effect in April 2017, meaning that Oliver could not compete in the 2017 World Team Trials, and subsequently, he could not compete in any qualifying tournaments leading up to the 2018 World Team Trials, ultimately affecting Oliver for two years.

“I had to look at wrestling from the outside for a while,” Oliver said. “It’s a really deep cut when something you love to do gets taken away like that. I was able to train, but I couldn’t go out and compete. The reward for training and doing all of those things right is being able to have the opportunity to go and compete for your country and wear that American flag on your singlet. It hit me really hard when that opportunity was stripped from me.”

Having sat out the 2017 and 2018 Trials, Oliver put himself right back in the mix for the 2019 season, winning an international silver medal and later qualifying for the World Team Trials. However, a nagging injury that few knew about kept Oliver from training consistently.

Oliver advanced to the finals of the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament last May, but fell in the best-of-three series to Zain Retherford, who snagged the remaining Final X spot. Moments later, Oliver had to battle 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro in the true-second match for a spot on the National Team. Molinaro went on to win the match, keeping Oliver off the National Team.

This season, Oliver is determined to end this Olympic quad on a high note.

“I guess there is a sense of urgency because these younger guys that are coming up are very good,” Oliver said. “I’ve been done with college wrestling since 2013, and I haven’t made a Senior team yet. I came really close in 2017, but then the suspension happened, and it felt like I was right back at square one. So yes, there is urgency to make a team, and with this being an Olympic year, it’s an ever bigger opportunity for me. For me, I’m approaching this year like it’s my last chance, like I would hang up my shoes after 2020. That helps with my mindset because looking forward. I can look to 2024 because I feel that good and I believe that I can go another cycle, but I need to treat this year as if it’s my last and put everything I have into it.”

He’s put together a solid season so far, winning the Bill Farrell International in November and then going unscored upon to win the gold and the Outstanding Wrestler honor at Senior Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas, in December.

“I happen to be my biggest critic, and that was something Coach (John) Smith patted me on the back for because I always wanted more,” he said. “Even though I’ve been performing really well and winning tournaments like the Farrell and Senior Nationals, I still think there is a lot of work that needs to be done to be where I want to be, which is an Olympic gold medalist. Overall, I think I’m wrestling very well. I’m wrestling very poised and I have a high attack rate. I’m getting back to my old ways.”

One of the biggest factors helping Oliver get back to his old ways is health.

“This year, I’m healthy and I think that is a big part of why I’ve been successful over these last few months, in addition to the coaching staff that I have around me,” Oliver said. “This is the best I’ve ever felt, even though I’m on the higher end of the age spectrum. I feel better now than I did when I was 23 or 24. As of now, there is a lot of room to grow and a lot of time to get better.”

While Oliver had some roadblocks in his way over the last few years, he has taken advantage of some big opportunities in the form of Regional Training Centers to bring his wrestling to a whole new level.

Upon graduating from Oklahoma State in 2013, Oliver stayed with the OSU staff until 2014 and then made the move to Arizona State, where he trained until 2017. After that, he had a two-year stint at Cornell.

“In every training situation I’ve been in, I’ve had amazing coaches teaching me and molding me, going all the way back to the beginning with Coach (John) Smith at Oklahoma State,” Oliver said. “That was where I had a pretty successful college career, and Coach Smith had a huge impact on my wrestling. Moving to Arizona State was pivotal as well because I got to work with Zeke Jones, who had just retired as the USA National coach, and he brought a whole different aspect to the table. He brought science to wrestling. He’s probably one of the most technical people I’ve ever been around, so it was really special to work with him. Then I went all the way to the other side of the country to train at Cornell with Kyle Dake and great coaches like Mike Grey and Rob Koll. There are also super talented college guys in the room like Yianni (Diakomihalis) and Vito (Arujau). Everywhere I went, I was exposed to different styles with different people who all had unique approaches to the sport.”

Oliver credits his time at Cornell as a place where he grew the most as a wrestler, training with eventual two-time World champion Kyle Dake as well as fellow 65 kg World Team contender Yianni Diakomihalis.

With JO and Diakomihalis pegged as some of the frontrunners for the World Team spot during 2019, it was inevitable that they would run into each other. That moment came at the U.S. Open, where they met in the semifinals. Diakomihalis took the win and eventually won the tournament to move onto Final X.

“Cornell was one of the best training situations I’ve ever been in,” Oliver said. “I had the blessing and opportunity to train with Yianni. Being around another wrestler that’s on top at your same weight class is motivating and it pushes you every day to get better. We both want to be World champs. How could that hurt you? Training with Yianni, we knew that we would eventually be going against each other. It would either be me or him that came out on top. When it came to making the team, the attitude for me was that if I didn’t make it, it better be him. It was just such a good and encouraging environment to be in.”

While having Diakomihalis in the same room was motivating, Oliver decided in August of 2019 to take his training to Chapel Hill, N.C., at the TarHeel RTC, where he could train with Olympic champion Kenny Monday and Olympic bronze medalist Coleman Scott, who both worked with Oliver during his time at Oklahoma State.

“UNC is great because I have Coach Kenny Monday literally putting all of his time and effort into helping me win an Olympic gold medal,” Oliver said. “I know that if I don’t win, Kenny doesn’t win. It wouldn’t just rip my heart, it would rip his heart out, too. That’s how committed he is. I know he’s always giving me 110 percent. I’ve also got Coleman Scott and Tony Ramos in my corner, so I’ve got a really high-level mindset around me at all times being around guys who have made teams and two of them that have medaled at the Olympics.”

Monday, the TarHeel RTC head coach, is a three-time Olympian, winning a gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Games and a silver at the 1992 Barcelona Games, while Scott is the University of North Carolina head coach and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist.

The trust that Oliver has with both coaches was a big reason why he made the move.

“A lot of RTC coaches now are in place to make the college program better. It’s almost a recruiting tool, but for Kenny, it’s not about the UNC team, it’s about me, the RTC athlete. Coleman has that same vision for the RTC,” Oliver said. “It’s about ‘what does Jordan Oliver need?’ not ‘what can Jordan Oliver do for me?’ I never have to question the motives for the coaches because it’s obvious that we all have our eyes set on that 2020 Olympic gold.”

With the combination of his health, his coaches and his past experiences, Oliver is showing that this may be the best version of JO that the world has ever seen.

“I want to be the 65 kilo Olympic champion this year for the United States,” Oliver said. “I have to figure out how to get better every day. I want to be an Olympic champ, but I want to be a dominant Olympic champion. I want to show people who what the ultimate Jordan Oliver looks like. I have to win 364 intangible gold medals before I have that actual gold medal in my hands.”