The Pan Am Championships were a great run for the USA’s wrestlers, and the Pan Am Olympic Qualifiers are proving to be just as brilliant. Some of the country’s wrestling stars have already secured their berths in Europe at the Mexican tournament with more vying to do so. And yet, the 65kg weight class saw Team USA making an unprecedented fumble on the road to Paris. The only positive takeaway from the bout was that it was a Michigan wrestler who exerted his skills in style.

Last month, the five-time All-American and NLWC wrestling star Nick Lee emphasized how “intense” training has become a norm with the 2024 Olympics looming on the horizon. While his hopes were understandably high, the Pan American Olympic Qualifiers seem to have different plans for the two-time NCAA champ.

Another home-bred athlete gains momentum on road to Paris 2024

In a recent Instagram post by the official Cliff Kenn Wrestling Club, one of their star’s exploits in Acapulco, Mexico has been shared for the world to swoon over. Captioned with the sonorous announcement “PARIS BOUND‼️“, the post aims to celebrate Austin Gomez’s victory emphatically. While the Mexican wrestler shattered the USA’s Olympics dreams in the 65kg weight class, he is one of the most important members of the Michigan Wolverines roster.

In the quarterfinal match of his weight class Penn State’s Nick Lee faced his adversary from the domestic collegiate scene with Gomez running on a successful NCAA season. While the USA rallied behind Lee without hesitation, the Mexican representative scooped up a major 22-12 decision win on home soil.

Despite the USA’s hopes crumbling and the need to head back to the drawing board to find ways to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 65kg, the country’s wrestling fans can take pleasure in the fact that another Olympian found his footing at one of the country’s leading programs. With Lee’s loss, the third day of the Pan Am Olympic qualifiers came up short when compared to the first two.

The USA’s mixed results in Acapulco

Day 3 in Mexico wasn’t Team USA’s moment to shine. Along with Nick Lee, Zane Richards faced an ordeal that proved to be unsurmountable as he lost the semifinal match of the 57kg weight class against Puerto Rico’s Darian Cruz (who is also a member of Lehigh’s wrestling squad).

On the contrary, the first two days of the tournament saw several of the country’s top talents including Kayla Miracle, Cohlton Schultz, and Dom Parrish confirming their places for the 2024 Paris Games.

Read more: Pan American Olympic Qualifiers: USA’s Amit Elor Clean Sweeps Competition To Secure Debut Team Trials Spot

Meanwhile, Kamal Bey and Alex Sancho also dropped crucial match points and failed to secure their spots in the national team. Now, fans have to wait once again to see if the USA’s Olympic aspirations can indeed be nurtured as more wrestlers take their shot in the coming days.