Women’s legend Kristie Davis, 37, comes out of retirement for her fourth Olympic Trials
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by Gary Abbott
Kristie Davis, after winning a World gold medal in New York City in 2003.
VIDEO: Kristie Davis talks about her comeback
Kristie Davis, the most decorated women’s freestyle wrestler in American history, is making a comeback for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials and will compete on Sunday at the 75 kg/165 lbs. weight class. Her last match came at the 2012 Olympic Trials, also held here in Iowa City.
Davis, 37 years old, is a two-time World champion whose nine World medals is the most by a U.S. woman, and tied for the most World medals in any style with the legendary Bruce Baumgartner. This will be her fourth U.S. Olympic Team Trials event, every Olympic Trials ever hosted by USA Wrestling in women’s freestyle.
Davis started training, hoping that she and her daughter Kayla Marano could compete at the Olympic Trials in the same event, which would be a first for USA Wrestling. Kayla, a 2015 Cadet World bronze medalist, is now Senior eligible, but was unable to qualify for the Olympic Trials.
“My motivation is I really wanted a month ago to wrestle with my daughter in a tournament, so we could have that mother –daughter deal. It has probably never been done. I have a child who is on that Senior level now. It didn’t pan out that way. Kayla didn’t qualify. So I just kept it going,” said Davis.
She is eligible under the qualifying standard of being a past World Team member. Davis made 10 World Teams. The only achievement she was not able to reach in her storied career was making a U.S. Olympic Team.
Kristie’s husband is Link Davis, the women’s wrestling coach at Emmanuel College in Georgia. She has been training under his coaching, along with athletes on the college wrestling team.
“After I finished nursing school, I started doing gym stuff. When I got back to Georgia with my family, I started training with Kayla and the guys team and a couple of the girls there. I am content. I am out here to have fun. I still love the sport to death. My intentions are completely different. I had goals coming in here. Just to be wrestling at my age, I count that as a win,” said Davis.
Kristie competed under her maiden name Kristie Stenglein and her first married name Kristie Marano, before she married Link and finished her career as Kristie Davis. Her first World medal came in 1996, a silver medal, when she was still in high school.
Davis will be in the same weight class as three-time World champion and five-time World medalist Adeline Gray. Does she think she can hang with the best of the current athletes?
“There is always motivation to win. As far as the pressure I used to put on myself, I don’t think that way now,” said Davis.
VIDEO: Kristie Davis talks about her comeback
Kristie Davis, the most decorated women’s freestyle wrestler in American history, is making a comeback for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials and will compete on Sunday at the 75 kg/165 lbs. weight class. Her last match came at the 2012 Olympic Trials, also held here in Iowa City.
Davis, 37 years old, is a two-time World champion whose nine World medals is the most by a U.S. woman, and tied for the most World medals in any style with the legendary Bruce Baumgartner. This will be her fourth U.S. Olympic Team Trials event, every Olympic Trials ever hosted by USA Wrestling in women’s freestyle.
Davis started training, hoping that she and her daughter Kayla Marano could compete at the Olympic Trials in the same event, which would be a first for USA Wrestling. Kayla, a 2015 Cadet World bronze medalist, is now Senior eligible, but was unable to qualify for the Olympic Trials.
“My motivation is I really wanted a month ago to wrestle with my daughter in a tournament, so we could have that mother –daughter deal. It has probably never been done. I have a child who is on that Senior level now. It didn’t pan out that way. Kayla didn’t qualify. So I just kept it going,” said Davis.
She is eligible under the qualifying standard of being a past World Team member. Davis made 10 World Teams. The only achievement she was not able to reach in her storied career was making a U.S. Olympic Team.
Kristie’s husband is Link Davis, the women’s wrestling coach at Emmanuel College in Georgia. She has been training under his coaching, along with athletes on the college wrestling team.
“After I finished nursing school, I started doing gym stuff. When I got back to Georgia with my family, I started training with Kayla and the guys team and a couple of the girls there. I am content. I am out here to have fun. I still love the sport to death. My intentions are completely different. I had goals coming in here. Just to be wrestling at my age, I count that as a win,” said Davis.
Kristie competed under her maiden name Kristie Stenglein and her first married name Kristie Marano, before she married Link and finished her career as Kristie Davis. Her first World medal came in 1996, a silver medal, when she was still in high school.
Davis will be in the same weight class as three-time World champion and five-time World medalist Adeline Gray. Does she think she can hang with the best of the current athletes?
“There is always motivation to win. As far as the pressure I used to put on myself, I don’t think that way now,” said Davis.
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