Save the Date: Men’s U20 and U23 World Team Trials in Ohio
by Taylor Miller-Gregorio, USA Wrestling
The World Team Trials for the U20 (Junior) and U23 divisions in men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman are set for June 3-5 at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
The U20 division is for athletes born 2002-2005, while the U23 division is for athletes born 1999-2004. All competitors must be U.S. citizens and age-eligible in order to compete in Ohio.
The 2022 U20 World Championships will take place Aug. 15-21 in Sofia, Bulgaria, and the 2022 U23 World Championships are slated for Oct. 17-23 in Pontevedra, Spain.
A passport will be required, so it is highly recommended that you plan on securing a passport prior to the selection event. If for any reason an athlete can’t make the weight or is unable to pay the participation fee or secure a passport, USA Wrestling reserves the right to take the necessary steps to fill the team as quickly as possible.
U20 Qualification
In both men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman, the 2022 UWW U20 World Team Trials will be a two-stage process.
The winner of the 2022 UWW U20 National Championships, held as part of the U.S. Open in April, will earn an automatic berth to the best-of-three wrestle-off series against the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champion.
Those who are unable to compete in Las Vegas, must meet one of the qualifying criteria in order to register for the World Team Trials in June. Qualifying criteria can be found on TheMat.com for men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman.
The champion in each weight class qualifies to represent the United States at the World Championships in Bulgaria.
U23 Qualification
Other than the age and citizenship requirements, there are no other qualifying procedures to enter the U23 World Team Trials.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The U23 World Team selection procedure is different this year. For more details, check out the Team Selection criteria on TheMat.com for men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman.
Here are some of the highlights:
- The highest-ranked age-eligible athlete from the 2022 Senior National Team in the same style will have first right of refusal for the U23 World Team spot. Please consult the procedures linked above.
- The deadline for the athlete to accept the spot will be Monday, June 27 at 5 p.m. MT.
- If there is not a Senior National Team member that meets the criteria or does not accept the team bid, then the team selection will go in rank order from the U23 World Team Trials results to the Nos. 1-3 athletes.